The Only One
by Blind to Reality
Summary: Neji Hyuga had always believed that he could see everything. However, a chance encounter proved him very, very wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Neji decided that he needed to purchase a new pair of shinobi sandals, and soon, given that this was the third time today he'd accidentally scuffed the now-smooth soles on a branch, nearly losing his footing. This time, however, his Byakugan picked up something odd as he righted himself once more.

Kakashi, sharp as always, immediately noticed the almost microscopic shift in Neji's frown.

"What is it?" he murmured, coming to a halt a few meters ahead of the Hyuga prodigy. "D'you see something?"

"Not some_thing_. . . some_one_," Neji replied softly, shooting a quick glance at Sakura, who'd just caught up to the two jounin.

"Let's check it out; we haven't seen anyone else in here." The pink-haired kunoichi gestured briefly to the vast amount of greenery surrounding them. "This could mean trouble."

They soundlessly approached the unfamiliar figure, which appeared to be unconscious. A few broken branches and wrinkled leaves covered most of its face, and Neji thought this was a rather clever ploy— lure your target into thinking you're injured, and spring at him the second his guard goes down. He smirked inwardly; he wasn't going to fall for that one.

A closer look with his bloodline limit indicated that this person was— there really was no other word for it— _tiny_. And female. Her face may have been hidden, but the slight curve of her hips gave her away.

Before Neji could make another move, Sakura stood and walked bravely toward the girl, kneeling cautiously at her side. "It's all right," she called out after a moment. "She's definitely unconscious." So. . . it _wasn't _a ploy.

Neji and Kakashi were soon on their knees as well, and Sakura began removing the leaves and twigs from the girl's face. Extremely pale skin with a light array of freckles greeted them, while bloodless lips twitched uneasily. She must have been in immense pain; grimacing while unconscious was highly unusual otherwise.

"She's just a kid," Kakashi said, taking in the short limbs with a strange look in his visible eye. "Who is she?"

"I dunno," Sakura sighed. "She doesn't have anything on her that can help us figure out where she came from."

Neji's frown deepened, and he deactivated his Byakugan. She could be dangerous, even if she _was_ just a kid; she could be a spy, for all they knew. Then his gaze shifted downward.

"What's wrong with her legs?" he asked. The angles at which both her knees were bent were definitely not normal, and everything from the shins down was severely bruised and swollen.

Sakura took action at once, gently probing the kid's legs before wincing. "Multiple greenstick fractures. That explains the branches and leaves that covered her— she must've fallen from one of these trees. But she had to have been pretty high up. . ." Her hands soon glowed faintly with her all-too familiar pale green chakra.

"What're you doing?" Kakashi said.

"We'll have to take her back to the village anyway, but the hospital doesn't treat outsiders. I'll treat her here, and then we'll turn her in to Lady Tsunade when we get back," she replied simply, initiating her medical ninjutsu and sweeping her palms over the girl's legs. Then she stopped. "That's funny. . ." She repeated the motion, but it didn't seem to be working.

Neji's eyes narrowed. _Her medical ninjutsu has never failed before. . . is it the kid's doing?_

"Neji, could you activate your Byakugan again? I want to check something," Sakura said.

He knew where this was going. "A barrier?"

"Exactly."

Activating his all-seeing eyes with relative ease, Neji carefully focused on the girl's left shin. "Try healing her again, Sakura."

The kunoichi obliged, and it didn't take long for Neji to see what the issue was.

"It may be on a molecular level, but there's no doubt that there's a barrier." The bulging veins around his eyes disappeared again. "Your chakra can't get through."

"Impervious to chakra. . ." Kakashi mused, scratching his chin. "Is it some kind of jutsu?"

"It's highly unlikely," Neji said. "She doesn't possess any chakra coils to begin with."

He looked back at the girl's face, taking in the silver curls that framed her freckled cheekbones. She was growing more suspicious by the second— how did a kid not have some form of identification on her, even if she was a spy? How on earth was she able to repel chakra, when she herself didn't have any? And how—

She gave a small moan.

Something stirred from within Neji at that moment; the sound had startled him in a way he couldn't exactly pinpoint. Suddenly, this girl just looked like a human being who was in pain.

"We can't leave her here," he stated, his words clipped.

Kakashi and Sakura stared at him.

"Neji?" Sakura raised a pink eyebrow. "What if she's the enemy?"

"And what if she isn't? If we leave her here, she's bound to be attacked. Besides, she's in no fit state to be demolishing our village anytime soon. We'll take her back. If she proves to be a threat after her recovery, we can easily dispose of her," he replied calmly.

"Recovery? Neji, you already know that our hospital doesn't treat outsiders," Kakashi reminded him.

Neji looked at Sakura. "There are liability forms, are there not?"

Sakura blinked, as if remembering this detail for the first time. "Yes. . ."

"Then I'll fill one out when we return."

"You're willing to take full responsibility for this kid? Are you sure?" Kakashi asked sternly.

Neji sighed. "I found her. It's only logical." His tone indicated that this discussion was over.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, think you'll be okay with scouting the rest of the perimeter by yourself?"

Kakashi stood. "Yeah, I'll be fine." And he was back in the trees without another word.

Sakura stood and began making her way up the nearest tree, not bothering to make sure Neji was following her.

"Wait a moment!" Neji called out. "You're expecting _me_ to carry her?"

He could almost _hear_ her smiling. "You found her. It's only logical," she retorted lightly, chuckling. Soon, she was gone as well.

"Hn." Neji gathered the girl into his arms, taking care not to jostle her legs. She was very light, and he could feel the thick ridges of her single braid pressed against his forearms. He wasn't sure if he liked that or not.

He focused chakra into his feet and climbed steadily up a tree— most likely the very tree that this girl had fallen from— and leapt skillfully from branch to branch, wanting to make it back to the village before dark. Just to make sure the kid didn't have any loyal accomplices, Neji once again activated his Byakugan: the coast was clear with the exception of Kakashi, who was already a few hundred meters behind him.

He didn't notice when the girl moaned again, but he _did_ notice when a small hand touched his chest. He looked down just as thin fingers clasped around the material of his white shirt. The girl's emerald eyes were now slightly open and out of focus.

A little uneasy, Neji said the first thing that came to mind: "I'm taking you to the hospital."

The girl's eyes widened for a brief moment, as if in recognition. Then her lips, still chalky white, quivered with speech.

"Neji. . . Hyuga. . ."

The young jounin had very nearly dropped her when he'd heard his name; regaining his composure had proven to be quite difficult after his sandals had slipped for the fourth time that day.

"What— what did you say?" he whispered.

But the girl had fallen unconscious again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, I just need your signature here. . ." Sakura continued, holding out a final piece of very official-looking paper.

Neji took it, hurriedly scrawling his name before he could change his mind, and handed it back to the medic. On the outside, the Hyuga appeared very cool, very calm— but his mind was whirring with confusion. He was anxious to see the girl— _now_— and demand to know where she'd learned his name. He hadn't told Sakura yet, but he knew this couldn't be anything good. . .

Sakura took a deep breath. "This won't be pretty," she muttered. "Neji, I'm gonna need your help."

His eyebrow twitched. "With what?"

"The only way I can patch up her legs is if I reset the bones by hand," she explained. "I need someone to restrain her so she doesn't hurt herself even more."

At that moment, Kakashi's white spikes peeked into Sakura's office. "What's going on?"

"Just finishing up the paperwork. We're heading to the kid's room now," Sakura answered. She filed the heavy stack away before standing. "C'mon, Neji."

"Mind if I tag along?" the Copy-ninja said. "I'll admit, I'm kinda interested in her."

"Sure," Sakura said. "I can always use another pair of hands."

One by one, they filed into the room at the farthest end of the hospital's hallway; Sakura had wanted to keep the girl away from the other patients, just in case. Neji had already forgotten just how small this kid was; she hardly took up any space in her bed, which was meant for the hospital's much younger patients.

The girl seemed to be stirring a little, which made Neji a bit nervous. _What else does she know?_

"I'll make this quick," Sakura huffed. "I hate these kinds of procedures. Neji, you take her left side— Kakashi-sensei, take her right."

The two men obeyed, each holding down a shoulder with one hand and a wrist with the other. As if sensing what was about to happen, the girl stiffened, her eyes still closed.

Without warning, Sakura applied immense amounts of pressure to various points on the girl's legs, producing sharp, cracking sounds that hurt Neji's ears. Almost immediately, the girl clenched her fists and easily managed to extract herself from Kakashi's and Neji's grips, much to the jounins' shock.

"Hold her down!" Sakura cried.

"Believe me, we're trying!" Neji retorted, actually _straining_ to keep the girl still. _How can something so small be so strong? _

It had gone on like this for a few more minutes, and by the time the final snap had echoed around the room, both Neji and Kakashi were beat. Sakura wiped her forehead, relieved.

"Glad that's over. . ." she sighed, taking in the girl's more relaxed form. "I was about ready to chain her to the bed. . ."

"Sorry about that," Kakashi said sheepishly.

Neji was amazed at the fact that not once did this kid scream; during the procedure, it only seemed like she wanted to sit up and reset the bones herself, as if she were afraid of a stranger touching her.

The three ninja knew she was very much awake now— she just kept her eyes closed. Was she afraid of what she might see? Neji silently prayed that something would get Sakura and Kakashi out of the room so he could interrogate the kid without any distractions.

As if Fate decided she'd be kind to Neji this time, another medic stepped into the room and promptly stated, "Sakura, you're needed in room two." He turned on his heel and left.

"Right." She followed suit.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Hmph. . . I still need to file the scouting report. . . I guess I'll see ya around, Neji."

"Hn," was the only acknowledgment Kakashi received.

And, just like that, Neji was alone with the kid.

"You can cut the act," he said firmly, though not unkindly. She immediately opened those emerald orbs, staring at the ceiling, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "How do you know my name?"

She blinked. "You're certainly not one to beat around the bush." Her voice surprised Neji; he was expecting a high trill, much like Sakura's or Tenten's, not something throaty and. . . mature. "Two can play at that game. I don't know how I know your name. I just do." She paused, still not looking at him. "I don't know where I'm from. And I don't know how I ended up in the forest, either."

"Then what _do _you know?" Neji inquired sharply.

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, which were, strangely, still out of focus. "I know my name."

He sighed heavily. "It's a start. . . what's your name?"

"Keiden," she provided simply.

"Keiden. . .?"

"Just Keiden."

". . ."

She turned her head toward him, her eyes meeting his chin. "I can tell you don't trust me, but that's really all I can offer." Her long fingers began fiddling with the thin hospital blanket that now covered the mess that was her legs. "Poor repayment, I know. . . especially since you saved my life." She shifted so she was sitting up a little higher, obviously trying not to wince. "Wait— I _can _tell you about what happened before you found me."

"But I thought you—"

"I said I don't know how I ended up in the forest, but I _do _know how this," she lightly tapped her knee with a finger, "happened."

Neji folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Tell me."

She scratched the tip of her nose. "The earliest memory I have is me standing on the topmost branch of a tree. I have no idea how I got there. Then I heard somebody approaching me from behind— a man, by the sound of the footfalls. As he got closer, I recognized him— I don't know how!" she exclaimed when Neji had taken a loud breath to interject. "But I knew he was dangerous, and I knew I had to get away from him. Of course, clumsy me, I turned too quickly on the branch and lost my footing. The man was gone before I hit the ground."

Without missing a beat, Neji asked, "Who was this man?"

"Kabuto Yakushi," she said promptly.

Neji quickly hid his surprise. What was _Kabuto_ doing in the forest? "And you recognized him, without him ever telling you his name." It wasn't a question; it was more like an accusation.

"I know where you're going with this," Keiden said. "You think I'm a spy." It had been her turn to accuse that time, but she'd been gentler about it. "I can't honestly say that I'm _not_ a spy, though. You have every right to be suspicious." She rubbed her glazed-over eyes. "But hear this— I don't like the thought of me being a spy. If I remember my past, and if I turn out to be the enemy, I'll willingly let this village do what they must with me, even if that means ending my life."

Neji frowned. "Why go to such extremes?"

"It's the least I can do. After all, if you and your people hadn't displayed such generosity, I'd probably be dead."

_She's being serious. . ._

Neji sighed again. "Hn."

Keiden laughed, a warm, single note. "I'll take that as an affirmation."

"Maybe you should go to sleep or something," Neji said abruptly. "You don't seem to be in your right mind." There was still something very. . . _off_ about her eyes.

"Ah, you think Sakura gave me some heavy painkillers?" Keiden said softly. This time, Neji didn't bother asking how she also knew Sakura's name. She wiggled her arms. "No IV's, my friend. Besides, I don't think your normal drugs will work on me— impervious to chakra, remember?"

_So, she knows about ninja medicine, does she?_ "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Who said anything about looking?" She raised her eyebrows, her eyes targeting Neji's left ear. She didn't sound angry; actually, she sounded rather defeated, like she was admitting something that she really didn't want to admit.

Neji, finally understanding, approached the side of her bed once more, kneeling so that his face was level with hers.

"You're blind," he whispered.

She felt around the air for a moment before settling her hand on top of his head, patting it. "Bingo."


	3. Chapter 3

Lady Tsunade, not wasting any time, announced, "You're to keep a careful eye on this kid." Elbows perched heavily on the surface of her paper-laden desk, the Hokage offered a sharp glance in Neji's direction, as if daring him to argue.

His back stiffened—_ so soon? How is seven weeks enough time for two broken legs to heal?— _but it wasn't as if he hadn't been expecting this mission. "Understood."

Tsunade's brown eyes skimmed the hospital's most recent liability form once more, seemingly searching for something that they may have missed the first eleven times. "I will not question your reasoning, Neji." She shook the papers in her hand. "But I'm actually quite surprised that _your _signature made its way onto this."

He still hadn't told anyone that Keiden had murmured his name the first time her eyes had opened, that she'd known things she shouldn't have known; he did, however, relate to Sakura, Kakashi, and Tsunade herself that this girl couldn't see a thing. Tsunade had immediately scoffed at that, stating that even the blindest of bats still had claws.

"She's to be released today," the Hokage continued, finally setting the papers down. "Don't let her out of your sight."


	4. Chapter 4

_What is she doing?_ Neji stopped in his tracks and hid behind the nearest tree, momentarily forgetting that his target couldn't see him anyway.

Keiden had lately been spending quite a bit of time in the thicket of trees that made up Training Ground Nine. She'd never seemed to be doing anything suspicious— just holding out her arms and letting her fingers brush her surroundings, as if committing every texture to memory. Now, however, she paused a few feet away from the trunk of a wide tree and removed her black sandals; suddenly, she sprinted toward the tree, planting her bare feet on the bark before she could run headlong into the trunk. She was completely horizontal, her body hovering parallel to the grassy ground beneath her, the only things keeping her rooted to the tree being her clenched toes. She grunted softly before landing on her back, seemingly frustrated.

"Again," Neji heard her murmur to herself.

_What the. . .? How in the. . .?_

She repeated this action and made it a bit farther up the tree before falling down again, this time with an "Oomph!" She stood up, rubbing her tailbone.

"Third time's a charm," she chanted quietly. Neji stepped out from behind his tree, deciding that he should stop Keiden before she injured herself. _Didn't she learn the first time?_

He took another step in her direction, just as she raced toward the tree once more. This time, her feet barely touched the bark before lifting again and again, bringing her to the nearest branch in a matter of seconds. She swung lithely, perching on this branch and letting out a single, delighted chuckle.

Then she sighed. "You know," she called out cheerfully, "I don't bite!"

Neji didn't need his Byakugan to know Keiden had been speaking directly to him— there was nobody else within a three-mile radius of them. He had no choice but to approach her now.

"How on earth. . .?" he began, warily making his way up the tree and settling himself on another branch, keeping his distance.

Keiden laughed again. "I'm blind. Not deaf."

Neji simply couldn't fathom the idea that this kid had heard him during her. . . performance. What was more, he'd specifically masked all his chakra and had made absolutely sure that his trudging through the training ground had remained soundless. This was all second nature to him, anyway. So how in the world did Keiden know she was being followed, let alone by Neji?

"Your heartbeat," the girl explained. _Can she read minds as well?_ "I recognized it immediately, the day you started tailing me."

"That was weeks ago," Neji interjected. "Why not say anything sooner?"

She shrugged. "Benefit of the doubt?" she offered.

"On whose behalf?"

"Yours, of course. As much as I wanted you to squirm right off the bat, I decided to spare your pride for a while." She smirked, rolling up the sleeves of her snug, deep purple turtleneck and resting her back against the tree.

Neji set his lips in a thin line; his pride, huh? He had no idea what to make of this kid— she was annoyingly perceptive, although he'd never admit it out loud, and she continuously proved that she possessed a disconcerting strength that was far beyond her years. This made her all the more suspicious in Neji's eyes.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked tersely.

"I got bored," she answered honestly. "Maybe I just wanted someone to talk to."

"Maybe?" Neji pressed.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I _really _wanted someone to talk to," she admitted. "It's not very fun, knowing someone's watching your every move, but he's unwilling to stop and make friendly conversation."

That funny feeling twitched in Neji's gut again, but he quickly shoved it away. "I should go."

Keiden blinked. "Don't you have orders?" she asked dubiously, rubbing her palms on her baggy, light grey pants.

Neji stood on his branch, ready to jump off. "Surely you've realized how late it is? You usually go back to your apartment at this time."

Something flickered across her face, something along the lines of shame. It was gone in an instant. "You're right, but. . . well. . ." She cleared her throat. "I don't have an apartment anymore. I was evicted this morning."

Neji frowned. "I didn't know about that."

"I was evicted _early_ this morning," she stated matter-of-factly. "Apparently, someone informed my landlord that I'm suspected of being a spy. He obviously doesn't want to risk the safety of his more. . . trustworthy tenants."

The Hyuga couldn't help himself. "Where will you stay, then?"

Keiden suddenly scurried to a much thicker branch above Neji's head. "This seems all right."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "No." He was given a very specific mission, and he wasn't about to let a surprise eviction jeopardize his spotless record. "Follow me." He didn't wait for her response; instead, he hopped gracefully from his branch and landed noiselessly on the ground, already making his way out of the training ground.

He still hadn't sensed her by the time he'd pushed through the last patch of bushes, which frustrated him, to say the least. Her attitude was irritating enough— Neji didn't want to have to deal with her stubbornness as well.

"Why are you doing this?"

His heart shot into his throat. Of course, the kid didn't have chakra to conceal in the first place; his normal sensing methods didn't apply to her. Neji just wasn't expecting her to be so darn _quiet_.

"Doing what?"

"You're not going to speak to my landlord, are you?" Keiden said. "I appreciate it, but I seriously doubt he'll even listen to a Hyuga at this point."

"Hn." It bothered Neji that she'd said the name with a sort of reverence, like his clan coincided with royalty.

They walked in silence for a while, the sky slowly growing darker and colder. It was not an uncomfortable quietness; in fact, Neji preferred it that way. Keiden didn't seem to mind, either. Neji _did_ find it uncomfortable, however, when he couldn't hear the sound of her footsteps behind him; he constantly peeked over his shoulder, just to see if she was still there. She always was, her emerald eyes directed at nothing in particular. When he checked again a couple of minutes later, he heard a sharp intake of breath.

"I'm not familiar with this route," Keiden said softly. "We're not going to the apartment."

"No," Neji answered. "We're going to the Hyuga Compound."

He came to an abrupt halt when she swiftly and effortlessly stepped in front of him. _She has to be fast, too?_ The top of her head barely reached his sternum.

"I don't understand." Her gaze only met his neck.

Neji sighed. "All of our guest rooms are empty. The entire clan knows that I'm under orders to keep an eye on you. They will not question this."

Keiden's eyes narrowed. "You don't trust me. What makes you think they will?"

"I'm under orders." Neji loathed repeating himself. "You pose a threat. You're not sleeping in the woods."

"Is that an _order_, Neji?" It was the first time she'd said his name since they'd first met. Neji's right eye twitched involuntarily, and he was extremely grateful that the kid wasn't able to see his momentary lax in control. "In case you've forgotten, the ANBU have been given specific instructions to kill me the second I threaten Konoha— your Hokage was kind enough to tell me that much before I left the hospital." She didn't sound bitter about it at all; in fact, she sounded _relieved_. "I may be short, but I'm not a child." She indicated herself with a small wave of her hand.

Neji blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Keiden's expression softened a little, and she folded her arms. "Just how old d'you think I am?"

He took a good look at her face, studying the freckles that made her look—

"No more than thirteen."

She grabbed her shoulder, wincing in mock pain. "Ouch— _that_ stung."

". . ."

"I'm _at least _a year older than you," she said, a smug smile touching her lips.

_There's no way. _"You're eighteen." It took nearly everything Neji had to hide the incredulity in his voice.

She gave a low snicker. "Nineteen, actually."

He took another long look at her, still trying to discern the extra years in her features. Past her freckles, her high cheekbones and slender nose evinced something more than the round childishness he was accustomed to seeing in Konoha's genin. Her chin and jawline seemed average enough at first glance, but the subtle sharpness in these areas wasn't something normally seen on a thirteen-year-old, either.

Keiden politely cleared her throat, snapping the intensity right out of his gaze. "I can _feel_ that, you know."

"Hn," Neji grunted, attempting to cover up his minute embarrassment by stepping around her and continuing on toward the Compound.

Another period of silence followed, but this time Keiden stayed right by Neji's side, as if knowing this would save him a boatload of trouble. He did, however, end up glancing at her feet.

"What're you looking at?" Keiden suddenly asked, catching Neji off guard, which surprised him even more— Neji was _never_ caught off guard. . . that is, until he'd met Keiden. But he'd never tell anyone that, let alone her. "I can feel the air from your nose hitting my forehead."

"You're not wearing your sandals," he mumbled, looking away.

"I'll fetch them in the morning."

This led to the formation of another question in the recesses of his mind, and before he could stop himself, he blurted, "How did you manage to climb like that?"

Keiden cocked her head to the side. Then comprehension dawned in her hazy eyes. "I was testing my strength, to see whether or not I could do some things without having the chakra to do them. I focused a lot of energy into my toes, and it just. . . worked."

Neji's curiosity was certainly piqued, but he kept his tone formal. "But after only three tries?"

"Hey, third time's a charm." She smiled. "I like to think of that as my motto."

"Hn." He really shouldn't have been talking about unimportant matters with her; his mission was to protect Konoha, not to make friends. "We're here."

The gates of the Hyuga Compound loomed ominously over them, casting a foreboding shadow under the light of the full moon. Without a word, Neji entered, the young woman following suit. Those clan members who were still awake peered suspiciously at the newcomer as she trailed the Hyuga prodigy down a large hallway, dozens of pearly eyes narrowing slightly at the prospect of a threat. None of them, however, uttered a single sound.

"They're watching me," Keiden whispered, her voice actually intrigued.

Neji ignored her. He led her further down the hallway, all the way to the very end, before turning to face her, his eyes gleaming dangerously. She stopped, waiting patiently, her fingers grasping the end of her silver braid.

"You're to stay in this room. I'll come and get you in the morning. I suggest you don't wander around the Compound alone, if you know what's good for you."

She didn't even flinch. "You're not going to drag me around all day," she calmly assumed.

"No," Neji sighed. "But I need to train, and I obviously can't just leave you here. You're to accompany me, and I will not hesitate to take you down the moment you try to sneak away."

Keiden put her hands on her hips. "Threats are wholly unnecessary." She grinned. "Don't strain yourself."

Neji answered by grabbing the knob and thrusting the squeaky door open, irritated by the fact that such a small person could produce the beginnings of such a large headache.

She took the hint, holding out her hand and tracing the doorway with her fingertips before stepping into the tiny guest room. With that, Neji turned and walked away.

"Thank you," she breathed.

The door clicked shut.


	5. Chapter 5

Neji didn't particularly enjoy the fact that Keiden always seemed to be waiting for him in the morning, as if she could sense the precise moment he opened his eyes and crawled out of bed.

Since he'd brought her to the Compound, she'd accompanied him, as planned, to every one of his solo training sessions, but she'd never made any moves to escape, even when he'd been most distracted. She'd never asked to train with him, either, which had been an immense relief— he didn't want to think about Lady Tsunade's reaction to him making his target even stronger.

Today, Neji padded, as usual, to Keiden's room. And, as usual, the door opened before he could even raise a hand to knock. There she was, fully dressed, her hair in its typical braid. Neither of them needed to speak; in a matter of weeks, they'd created an eerie ritual that neither of them wanted to admit actually comforted them. Keiden, like Neji, thrived on routine, and it didn't seem to matter to her that the two had never made conversation, even though they'd spent almost every day together. Maybe just having a familiar presence nearby was enough for her. Neji had never asked.

While training that morning, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched; then he mentally slapped himself, forgetting yet again that his target couldn't possibly be watching him. It was odd, having someone staring in his general direction for hours at a time, but still not being able to see him.

This young woman was extremely patient, to say the least: she never sighed listlessly, never stood up and walked around aimlessly. Instead, she sat at the trunk of a nearby tree, her palms flat on the ground, her brow furrowed as if she were concentrating on something of the utmost importance. Suddenly, her head whipped to the left, her braid slapping her shoulder.

"Who's that?" she murmured, clambering to her feet. Neji had almost forgotten what her voice sounded like, but he immediately shook that thought away. He hadn't sensed anyone heading toward them, but, then again, he'd been practicing his Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms technique on an unsuspecting pine for the last ten minutes. He cursed himself for not paying attention, for letting Keiden discover something he didn't.

Byakugan still activated, Neji focused in the direction Keiden was facing. Then the veins relaxed. It was only Gai-sensei, Rock Lee, and Tenten. He'd never mentioned to Keiden that his team had contacted him last night, wanting to get together today for old time's sake.

"It's all ri—" he began. _Wait a minute. . ._ _they're a mile away from us. _

Keiden didn't seem to need his question to sense his confusion. "You don't think I've been just _sitting_ here, do you?"

"What are you playing at?" Neji threw at her. He hated the way his voice shook at the last word, hated that he _knew_ she could hear it.

She folded her arms. "As proud as I am of my four senses," she said coolly, "I'm not going to throw away the opportunity to further strengthen them. I've been training just as much as you have." Then she sighed. "I may as well be useful."

". . ." He wasn't expecting that last part. He would never, _ever_, say it out loud, but a tiny part of him was oddly touched, and, frankly, a little insulted. Was she implying that he had a weakness of some sort? Was she rubbing it in his face that her sensory capabilities already far surpassed those of every ANBU squad member in Konoha? Or. . . was she really just trying to help— no, Neji stopped right there. It was a clever act; Keiden couldn't possibly be concerned about his welfare otherwise.

"Deconstruct all you want," she said. "If you want me to stop looking, just say so." And with that, she removed her sandals and ran up to the first branch of the tree, her toes now her only visible feature.

Neji shook his head impatiently, having caught the subtle emphasis on "looking." He did _not_ need her as his eyes.

Before long, he was finally able to hear the exuberant voices of Gai and Lee, echoing even in the thick expanse of trees. Tenten's exasperated sighs followed closely behind them.

"Ah, Neji! I can already see in your eyes the youthful passion this reunion brings!" Gai boomed happily upon seeing the Hyuga, his impossible grin brighter than the midday sun. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd be here so early!"

His slightly smaller clone struck a Nice Guy pose next to him. "Yosh! Neji's eagerness to begin our highly youthful training session is such a youthful inspiration!"

A snort came from Keiden's tree. Neji prayed nobody else had heard it—

"What was that strange sound?" Lee chirped loudly, his bowl-shaped head searching wildly for the source. "Did you hear that, Gai-sensei?"

"As a matter of fact, I did, Lee. I'VE GOT IT!" Gai exclaimed. "Our first training exercise for today will be to track down the maker of the mysterious snort! Are you ready, team?"

"There's really no need." Keiden leapt lightly from her branch, her bare feet soundlessly meeting the grass. "As fun as that sounds, I'm not allowed to hide from Neji."

Neji didn't know which he'd rather do more— berate Keiden for not staying put, or thank her for saving him from hours of pointless searching. So, he did the next best thing:

"Hn."

"Gah! Who is _she_?" Lee cried. His bushy eyebrows disappeared into his hair, and his already saucer-like eyes grew even rounder as he stared openly at the perceived intruder.

"Calm down, Lee," Tenten said. "Neji told us about this mission last night, remember?"

"Mission?" Lee glanced at Neji.

Tenten closed her eyes. "He's stuck babysitting until further notice," she said evenly. "Were you even listening?"

Keiden turned to face Tenten, her eyes trained on the bun-haired kunoichi's collar. "You're talking about a rather old baby, you know." She smiled tightly, as if holding in a giggle. "Anyway, nice to meet you."

Tenten seemed taken aback by the polite manner in which Keiden took the intended insult. Then, to Neji's dismay, she laughed. "I like this kid, Neji. You should've introduced us sooner!"

"Introduced?" Keiden said. "How rude of me— I'm Keiden." She held out a grass-stained hand to nobody in particular. Lee took it immediately, obviously forgetting how much she'd previously startled him.

"It is an honor to meet you! My name is Rock Lee, but you may call me Lee!" he said boisterously, flinging Keiden's hand around in a wild semblance of a handshake. She didn't seem to mind— in fact, her eyes gleamed with enjoyment.

"I'm Tenten," the brunette offered cheerfully over Lee's enthusiasm.

"And my name is Maito Gai!" Neji's sensei suddenly struck his own Nice Guy pose, unaware that Keiden couldn't see it, even though Neji had alerted his team last night that she was blind. "Gai-sensei, if you will!"

Keiden's smile faltered. "Sensei?"

"Of course! Any friend of Neji's, especially one who'll most likely be with him for a long time, is welcome to be a part of this particularly _youthful_ team!"

"That's very kind of you, but I don't want to impose." She took a step back. "It really wouldn't be a good idea to let someone like me train with you, anyway." For once, Neji wholeheartedly agreed with her.

"Nonsense!" Was _Tenten_, of all people, actually going along with Gai's crazy antics this time? "I think it'd be nice to have another girl on this team."

"Yosh! I agree with Tenten!" Lee cheered. "What do you say, Neji?"

". . ."

Gai took Neji aside. "There'd be four pairs of eyes on her. She wouldn't even think of escaping," he said seriously.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Neji replied quietly. "We just don't need her getting any stronger."

The spandex-clad jounin considered this for a moment. "Then we'll just have to tire her out!"

Before Neji could argue, Gai faced the other members of his team and announced grandly, "All right, then! Let's start with the usual! I want one hundred youthful laps around Konoha!"

For once, Neji was grateful for this absurd exercise. _She possesses incredible speed and muscular strength, like Lee. However, endurance can't be in her favor; it's taken Lee almost five years to run all one hundred laps without getting tired. There's not a doubt in my mind that this will be Keiden's first time running this far. _He smirked. _She won't make it past the tenth lap. _

"On your mark. . . get set. . . GOOOOO! RUN! RUN WITH THE FULL POWER OF YOUTH!" Gai screeched before sprinting into the distance, Lee at his heels.

Keiden laughed, already matching Neji's pace, despite her much shorter legs. "I like their energy."

"Hn," Neji grunted.

"If it bothers you so much," she said airily, "I can always run with Tenten."

". . ."

"That's what I thought." She sounded happy for some reason. "You're welcome."

How, _how_ did she know that he was thinking about his mission, that he didn't want the other members of his team to have to lift some of the responsibility from his shoulders, that he couldn't possibly admit to any of them that he was actually a little worried about failing?

To prevent himself from going insane, he tried to focus on something else, only to be greeted by the sight of Keiden's bare feet.

"Do you despise sandals?" he said roughly.

Keiden chuckled. "I'm memorizing the terrain," she answered simply.

Did Neji really _want _to hear the reason? As a matter of fact. . . he did. "Why?"

"I thought it would be fun. Another ninety-nine laps of silence would be kind of boring, don't you think?"

"Hn." _If you can make it that far. . ._

As it had turned out, much to Neji's displeasure— he'd tried to convince himself that it wasn't jealousy— Keiden _could_ make it that far. The entire time, she'd stayed at his side, pumping her small legs with an enthusiasm that rivaled Lee's, though she'd been much less verbose about it. Her breathing had never become heavy, and she'd never complained, never asked to take a break. When they'd completed the final lap, she'd patted his arm, perhaps aiming for his shoulder. His eyes had widened at her touch, but that had been his only reaction.

Of course, a sweaty Lee was beside himself with joy, congratulating Keiden on a "youthful job well done." Even Tenten, finishing about fifteen minutes after them, admitted she was impressed. Neji and Gai just exchanged a significant look.

"Gai-sensei! Gai-sensei! May we proceed with the sparring session now?" Lee asked excitedly.

"A splendidly youthful proposition, Lee!" Gai's thick eyebrows wiggled anxiously, something only Neji noticed. "I have just the technique for you. And Tenten, my lovely flower, I require your blossoming assistance!" He easily regained his spirited composure and swept the two chunin away, leaving Neji and Keiden alone.

Keiden rocked comfortably on the balls of her feet, her braid swinging lazily. "I think this tree is mocking you," she told Neji, pressing her palms against the tender bark of the sapling next to her. "Maybe you should teach it a lesson." She then slid to the ground, hugging her knees.

He wasn't having any of that. "Stand up."

"You're contradicting yourself," she warned, getting to her feet. Of course she'd heard his conversation with Gai.

But Neji was beyond caring at this point— his nerves were stretched thin enough as it was. He was going to put this girl in her place, and, at that moment, he wasn't above sparring with her until she couldn't move anymore. He just wanted her to _stop talking_, to stop predicting his every move, his every word. She did not know him. She would never know him.

In his anger, he charged at her— a sparring session was the only way for him to lose control and make it seem perfectly normal— however, before his fist could make contact with her cheek, she vanished.

"Byakugan!" he growled.

She was standing patiently behind him. "Don't do this," she said softly.

He paid no heed to her words; instead, he charged again, shifting his stance at the last possible moment and aiming a low kick at her heels.

But Keiden was already a step ahead of him. As Neji crouched, she placed her hands on his right shoulder, pushing herself off the ground and twisting fiercely through the air, ending up behind him again. She wrapped her left arm around his throat in a firm chokehold.

"Just stop," she murmured. He threw himself forward in a somersault, planning to pin her to the ground after flipping her off his back. She retaliated by letting go of his neck before her legs could make it over his head, and she leapt a few feet behind him. As he quickly tried to recover from his own move, he found himself on his back, his arms trapped beneath her knees. She gripped his neck again, this time with her bare hands.

The fight had continued like this for a few more hours: Neji had always aimed to catch her off guard, changing his moves at the last second, but Keiden had always _known_. She could have easily killed him dozens of times, but every time she'd imprisoned him in her grip, she'd just tell him that it was no good, that he needed to stop.

Even though Neji hadn't used any of his clan's techniques on her, he was thoroughly winded; he'd kept his Byakugan activated all this time, depleting his chakra reserves with every passing minute. He swore bitterly when Keiden managed to get both his arms behind him with only one of her hands, using the other to, once again, wrap around his neck. Her hold and his exhaustion forced him to his knees.

"We're done," Keiden said solemnly, letting him go and sitting passively at his side. She _still_ didn't sound tired. The only thing that indicated her recent activity was the faint flush of her cheeks.

Neji's bloodline limit burned with overuse, deactivating automatically. He'd been foolish, thinking he could take on someone who'd proven time and time again that she was extremely capable in all things hurled at her; being blind had never concerned her. He closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing.

Keiden remained silent, which was, to Neji, excruciatingly considerate of her. His pride had been severely wounded today— they both knew that— and the fact that she didn't gloat about it made his previously nonexistent respect for her grow the tiniest bit.

When he finally managed to control his heaving lungs, Neji opened his aching eyes again. His gaze met her unmoving figure: she was staring straight ahead, her legs crossed and her palms pressed into the grass, just like this morning.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"Looking at the grass, the bugs," she said. "Listening to your team."

". . ."

"They're leav—"

"What are you?" He didn't know what had made him say it.

She beamed. "I'm Keiden," she said, as if this was the most obvious answer in the world. Somehow, Neji understood. Then her face fell. "Neji?"

The sudden change in her tone when she'd said his name struck him as odd. She'd never sounded this nervous before.

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?" _Where is this coming from? _

"It depends. . ." he began after a brief pause.

"Don't worry— you wouldn't be overstepping the boundaries of your mission," she added hastily. "It's just that. . . if I remember everything. . . and if I am indeed the enemy. . ." She trailed off, shaking her head. Then she took a deep breath. "I want you to be the one to kill me."

Neji winced. He _definitely _wasn't expecting that. However, he was beginning to understand her uneasiness at the prospect of ending her life; a complete stranger would only relish in making her suffer, and even Neji wasn't that cruel. If the young woman sitting before him turned out to be the enemy. . .

"I'm sorry," Keiden whispered. "I shouldn't have—"

"I promise."


	6. Chapter 6

Before Neji even knew it, six months had gone by since he'd made his promise. Something had definitely changed between him and Keiden that evening, and he was still trying to figure out if that was good or bad. The girl was faithfully determined to prove that she didn't want to be a threat, as imposing as her situation was; Neji had never in his life seen anyone try so hard.

These last six months contained, more or less, the same routine they'd been following since Keiden had been brought to the Hyuga Compound; however, instead of just letting her sit there for hours at a time, Neji had finally been humble enough to ask her to help him train, much to her surprise. She'd never questioned him about it, though— apparently, even she knew that admitting the need for assistance was _not_ something Neji took lightly.

"Again," she said evenly, already positioned to strangle him. Even after all this time, Neji was still baffled by her silent speed. Today was no different, but he was expecting _some_ improvement on his part. Keiden let him go.

"You rely on your eyes too much." She wasn't chastising him; she was merely stating something he knew to be true. "Byakugan or not, your other senses are just as important."

He wasn't going to argue— living proof of this statement was standing right in front of him— but he was finding it rather difficult to come up with a better game plan. She was just too _fast_.

"I want you to close your eyes," she said.

". . ."

She laughed. "It'll help. Once properly trained, your ears will be unstoppable."

He obeyed, albeit tentatively. _Oh, right. _"They're closed."

"Good. Now, just take a few minutes, and focus on every sound around you, no matter how small." She was standing uncharacteristically close to him, her hand at his elbow. It wasn't meant to throw Neji off— she was just letting him know that she was still there. "Tell me what you hear."

Neji, whose sense of hearing was relatively strong, still had to strain his ears to capture the noises of the training ground. There was a nest of sparrows to his left, and the wind shook the leaves and grass in a light, sweeping chorus. He told Keiden that much.

"What else?" she murmured.

He relayed everything his ears stumbled upon, frustrated that this sense of his could only produce an abysmal comparison to Keiden's. And, as hard as he tried, he couldn't hear any signs of life coming from the young woman beside him; the only reason he knew she was there was because her hand still rested on his arm. Nothing else alerted him— no breathing, no heartbeat. She was practically a ghost.

"Fight me," she said suddenly. Her tone suggested that Neji's eyes were to remain closed.

He wasn't about to complain, but he didn't see how it would be possible to fight off something he couldn't hear. It would be like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands.

As expected, Keiden was already on top of him. His eyes opened of their own accord.

"Were you even trying?" she said playfully, releasing him once again.

"Hn," Neji replied. "Not all of us were born with a heightened sense of hearing." His tone was just as light.

"The thing is. . . I don't think I was born this way," Keiden said, her face a serene mask.

He folded his arms. "What makes you say that?" The fact that she continued to spark his curiosity didn't particularly bother him anymore.

"I know what colors are." She paused. "How on earth are you supposed to teach colors to somebody who was born blind?"

_She has a point. . ._

"So, you see, I had to train my ears, just like you."

Neji didn't say anything. He always enjoyed a good challenge, but something like this was way beyond the scope of his normal abilities; if he could _just hear her_. . .

"Maybe you're not listening hard enough," she whispered.

"Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book and listen with my palms instead," Neji retorted firmly, sitting down and mimicking Keiden's trademark pose.

She didn't seem to mind being made fun of. "I like books."

The somewhat erratic nature of Keiden's thought process was enough to cause Neji to grunt, "You can't read."

"I didn't say I like _reading_ books," she said, taking a seat next to him. "I just like holding them, thinking about what could be inside."

". . ."

"You should try it sometime," she said seriously. "Texture also plays a key role in blind sparring— mainly when it comes to defense. I'll enlighten you." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Neji's hand and placed it on her sleeve. "My turtleneck feels a lot like spandex— it's light, and it helps me move faster. When I'm in motion, the looser parts of this shirt create friction against the air, which then produces an extremely high-pitched sound. If I were ever to spar with Lee or Gai-sensei, since they wear spandex, I'd follow these whistling sounds to know where they were aiming."

Neji considered this. "And _my_ clothes?"

Keiden released his hand and placed her own hand on his sleeve, just below the shoulder. "The material's much thicker, and there's a lot more of it. When _you_ move, it rustles against itself. It gives you away too easily. I have a pretty good idea of how tall you are, so whenever I hear the rustling of your clothes at my eye level, I can assume you're aiming to attack with your arms. When you crouch, maybe wanting to kick me, the sounds come from a spot either level with or lower than my waist." She removed her hand. "But, like I said, texture's mainly for defense."

"What about offense?" Neji pressed, not caring about the miniscule amount of interest his tone had, lately, been taking on.

She smirked. "That's the easy part. Once I focus on the sound of my opponent's heartbeat, I'll always know where they are. They can't hide from me."

_So that explains it— but she must have trained for _years_ to be able to discern the hundreds of different sounds that clothing alone makes. Is she really expecting me to reach this level so soon? _

"Don't worry, Neji. I have faith in you." Keiden stood up, brushing flecks of dead grass off the back of her sweatpants.

Neji followed her, his gut becoming warm with anticipation. And, sure enough, Keiden turned quickly on her heel, her braid swaying dangerously in the breeze.

"Again," she said.


	7. Chapter 7

Hiashi Hyuga stared gravely at his nephew, and Neji immediately understood what this private, late-night meeting was about.

"I know it is your duty to guard the child," Hiashi began slowly, his white eyes firm. "But I also know that a large majority of our clan members is growing even more suspicious."

Neji frowned, a tiny shift in his otherwise stoic features. "With all due respect, Uncle, I can assure you that Keiden will not jeopardize our safety. She has been in Konoha for almost a year, and not once has she made any move to threaten the village, let alone our clan."

Hiashi's eyes flashed. "I didn't say the clan members are suspicious of _her_."

"What are you talking about?" But Neji already knew the answer.

"You're changing, Neji, even if you cannot see it. Our elders are becoming quite wary of the fact that you and this girl have some sort of. . . relationship."

Neji flinched. "Uncle, do you know what she told me?" He was seething on the inside, but he kept his voice even.

Hiashi crossed his arms, waiting.

"She told me that she wanted me to be the one to kill her, the moment she proved herself to be dangerous." Neji's hands balled into fists at his sides. "And I promised her that I would."

"But why on earth would you—"

"She trusted me, even when I didn't trust her. From the very beginning, she put her life in my hands."

Hiashi bowed his head, seemingly pondering his nephew's words. After a moment, he gave a stiff sigh.

"Will you still be able to kill her?" He raised a testing eyebrow. "Even now, after all this time?" There was a strange look on his face that startled Neji, but he didn't let his uncle know that.

The Hyuga prodigy stood tall. "I never break my word."

Hiashi smirked, a knowing expression passing across his pearly eyes.

"You're dismissed."


	8. Chapter 8

"Can you believe it's already been fifteen months?" Keiden mused, making her way toward a large boulder and plopping down onto it, her silver braid trailing weirdly behind her.

". . ." Neji hadn't thought about that. Then he realized that this was the longest mission he'd ever undertaken. What was more, it really didn't feel like a mission anymore; he was so accustomed to Keiden's constant presence that he thought nothing of it. Hiashi's words echoed in his mind at that moment: _You're changing, Neji, even if you cannot see it. Our elders are becoming quite wary of the fact that you and this girl have some sort of. . . relationship._

He didn't know what to call it, but he better understood the truth of his uncle's words. However, it wasn't as if he'd spent hours revealing his secrets, his fears, to Keiden— she knew them anyway, and he had a pretty good idea of what hers might be. They didn't need words, most of the time: Keiden only really talked when she would give Neji instructions during their frequent training sessions— within which, by the way, Neji was improving— or when she thought something was wrong, and Neji mostly opened his lips when yet another one of Keiden's quirks would cause his curiosity to get the better of him.

_Will you still be able to kill her? _

"I'll have to," he mouthed soundlessly before taking a seat next to Keiden. A promise was a promise, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. _Besides_, he reasoned with himself, _fifteen months, and still not a single move to attack? I don't think I'll have to fulfill this promise anytime soon. _

As much as it pained him to admit it, he was afraid of her remembering her past. What if she _was_ the enemy? This question always led to the next one in Neji's mind: how _could_ she be the enemy? He didn't believe that her personality had melted away with her memory; so how could somebody so happy, so energetic, so. . . _Keiden_ be dangerous?

At this point, they were entirely indispensable in each other's eyes.

"Your heart's racing," Keiden pointed out kindly. "Are you all right?"

She deserved an answer, of course, but Neji simply couldn't find the right words.

"It's going to happen soon enough," she continued, hitting the nail right on the head once again. "I just wish you wouldn't worry so much about it."

". . ." There was no use lying, saying that he wasn't worried.

She shifted on the rock, now facing him. "Have you ever smelled a ladybug?"

He knew she was trying to distract him from his negative thoughts— and it worked. "Excuse me?"

She leapt from the boulder and crouched neatly on the ground. After a moment of searching through the grass, she returned to Neji's side, something round and red on the tip of her finger.

"These creatures are great when it comes to sensing danger," she explained. "They excrete chemicals from their legs when they feel threatened, which produce a very strong odor." She then held her finger expectantly in front of Neji's face.

"Keiden, I'm not going to smell a ladybug," he said plainly. "We can train my nose some other way."

She huffed good-naturedly. "You're missing out. . ." she taunted, bringing her finger to her own nose. Just as she inhaled, the ladybug produced a bright orange substance that instantly covered her fingertip. Neji watched as Keiden's now-glistening eyes widened, her mouth puckered like she'd just eaten something extremely sour. The ladybug flew away.

"That was. . . potent. . ." She stuck out her tongue in disgust.

Neji wasn't sure if it was his accumulated anxiety, his growing ease with Keiden, or his weariness from today's training session, but he suddenly burst out laughing.

Trying to get himself under control, he put his fist to his mouth, still watching the silver-haired girl. After he finally calmed down enough to speak, he said, "Forgive me."

Her lips formed a shocked "o," as if she didn't know what to say. It was then that Neji realized he'd never laughed in her presence before.

"The look on your face was unbearably funny," he tried to explain when she continued to say nothing.

Her expression now shifted into one that included awe.

"You laughed," she said breathlessly.

The way in which those two words had come out had such a strange effect on Neji— Keiden's low voice pierced the air around him, but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. He mentally shook himself, attempting for the umpteenth time to repress the feelings that recently seemed to crop up only when he was with Keiden. He searched desperately for a distraction.

"Don't move," he commanded softly, his eyes on her hair; the ladybug must have landed there while he'd been laughing.

She stiffened instantly.

Neji raised a hand, aiming to pluck the bug from her curls. "The ladybug. It's in your hair."

Keiden relaxed again, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "It's all right. I'll get it—" She reached for her head at the same time, seemingly unaware that Neji's hand was already so close. She accidentally bumped it, causing it to make contact with her freckled cheek.

Both of them froze.

The more rational part of Neji's mind screamed for him to stop touching her, to back away while he still could. This wasn't right— this wasn't safe. He could _feel_ the shock written all over his face, and he knew Keiden could feel it as well.

But he couldn't bring himself to let her go.

Her cheek was soft and warm under his calloused hand, and it felt. . . nice, cradled beneath his fingers. He brought his other hand to her face, and she gasped quietly.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Neji tilted his head toward her, his fear already far behind him. The gap between them growing closer, he could feel her breath against his lips, could hear her heart thrumming to the beat of his own. She closed her eyes, and he did so, too, the moment his mouth gently caressed hers.

He pulled away immediately, terrified at what he'd just done. This wasn't good for either of them— he was breaking the rules. Giving in to these feelings would only make killing Keiden that much harder, and she didn't need that. She didn't deserve that.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, finally extracting his hands from her face.

But she only smiled, her eyes shining. "You heard it." Her voice still had that note of wonder in it.

He turned away, ashamed of himself. "I don't know what you're talking about." He jumped when he felt her tiny hands grasp one of his own, but that didn't stop her from lifting it, bringing it to her chest, and resting it on her heart.

"You heard it," she said again.

_Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum_. . . sure enough, the new rhythm that pervaded Neji's ears matched that of Keiden's heart beating against his palm.


	9. Chapter 9

"What's this I'm hearing about you and Keiden?" Lady Tsunade barked, her blonde hair practically flying as she reeled toward Neji. "You were given a simple, very specific mission! Have you already forgotten?"

"I remember it clearly. 'You're to keep a careful eye on this kid. Don't let her out of your sight,'" Neji recited respectfully.

"So where is she now?" the Hokage asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

_Just because I'm not using my eyes, it doesn't mean I can't see her._ "She's waiting for me on the steps outside."

"How do you know she won't just make her escape now?" Tsunade quizzed skeptically.

Neji's usually impenetrable patience was already beginning to wear thin. "If you don't mind my saying, Lady Hokage, if she wanted to make an escape, she would have tried doing so months ago." He paused. "And if you also don't mind my saying. . . I think you should call off this mission."

"For goodness' sake, Neji! What's gotten into you?" Tsunade said. "I understand that you've recently turned nineteen, and that certain feelings are bound to come up, but now is _not_ the time to be falling in love!"

Neji was momentarily taken aback by the Sannin's words. He quickly composed himself. "I'm assuming my uncle has had a word with you, concerning a certain promise?"

"As a matter of fact, he has."

"I trust Keiden," Neji said quietly. "And I'm staying by her side until the moment I kill her."

Tsunade blinked rapidly, seemingly at a loss for words. Then she cleared her throat.

"Fine," she sighed heavily. "Mission terminated."


	10. Chapter 10

"Your uncle wants to see me?" Keiden asked, her fingers fiddling nervously with the end of her braid. "Tonight?"

"Don't worry so much," Neji said smoothly. He removed her hands from her hair, rubbing the tension from her knuckles before setting her palms in her lap. "It's just dinner, not an interrogation session. Besides, I'll be there."

They were sitting comfortably on the floor of Keiden's room, backs against her bed, resting for a bit after another grueling day of training. Well, Neji was resting— Keiden was still as energetic as she was when she'd jumped out of bed this morning. All the same, she stayed by his side.

Even though five months had blasted by since their first kiss, they'd both agreed that entering a more intimate phase of their relationship would only make matters more difficult than they already were. However, Neji sometimes couldn't help stealing a moment to brush his fingers along the line of her jaw, to press his lips to her forehead, to close the distance between their arms when they sat side by side— like he was doing right now.

He often berated himself for being so selfish.

"I don't want this to end, either," Keiden murmured. "But I want to protect Konoha, too."

Neji winced at the sad fondness with which she'd said the village's name. Over time, Keiden had not only made friends with Team Gai, but with Kakashi and the rest of the Konoha Eleven as well. Her charm was simply irresistible, to say the least. Even the village's civilians and most of the members of the Hyuga clan— with the exception of Hiashi and the elders— had taken a great liking to her. She always seemed to know when somebody required assistance with something, and she wholeheartedly helped them complete the task, no matter what it was. Word of her prowess also reached the young ears of all the current genin and chunin, and, soon enough, she was being asked to train many of them— alongside Neji and their jounin leaders, of course. Needless to say, almost everybody adored her now, and she adored them.

Neji's heart ached, knowing that the one thing Keiden wanted to protect the most could someday be the one thing she was meant to destroy.

It wasn't fair.

"Life isn't supposed to be fair," she said matter-of-factly.

She stood, her bare feet padding delicately on the supple wood beneath her, and kissed the top of Neji's head. He relished in her touch, intertwining his fingers with hers, wanting to maintain the contact a little longer, just a little longer. It was always that way for him now— _just a little longer. . ._

He raised himself as well, still holding Keiden's hands. This time, he wasn't the least bit hesitant about claiming her lips; he pressed his mouth to hers, releasing her hands and placing one of his against the small of her back and the other at the base of her neck. She responded by clasping the front of his shirt, letting him take control. He gladly complied, backing her against the wall and running a hand through her thick curls.

It ended all too soon, for Keiden gently pulled away. Neji rested his forehead against hers and gazed into her unseeing eyes, trying to memorize everything about them. A wavering thumb stroked her cheek.

"I know," she whispered shakily. "I know."

He understood that, now, she needed to be alone. "We should prepare for dinner," he said flatly.

She rearranged her features into something a bit more cheerful-looking. Neji cursed himself for not even attempting to cover up how upset he was; he hated the fact that he couldn't make this any less painful, that Keiden was trying so hard while he, once again, only thought about himself.

He left her, shuffling silently down one of the darkened hallways of the Hyuga Compound toward his bedroom. Flinging open the door, he immediately headed for his personal bathhouse, stripping off his sweat-laden clothes and dunking himself heavily into the steaming water.

_Now is _not_ the time to be falling in love!_ Lady Tsunade's voice chided him as he furiously scrubbed his skin. It had been weeks since he'd last thought about the Hokage's words.

_Did_ he love Keiden? Terms of endearment and words like "love" were not a part of his usual vocabulary; "admire" was there, as was "respect." Even "acknowledge." But _love_? Did he _love_ her?

He propped his elbows on the edge of the bath, craning his neck to stare at the ceiling that matched his eyes.

Yes. Yes he did.

And, at that moment, he understood why Hiashi wanted to meet with Keiden tonight. His uncle had already known, all those months ago— after he'd asked Neji if he would still be willing to kill her— that Neji's feelings for her went far beyond those of mere acquaintanceship.

He groaned quietly. He wanted nothing more than to be with her; to watch her eyes sparkle with delight when she occasionally trained the Academy students; to listen to her laugh when she chatted enthusiastically with the civilians she so selflessly helped on a daily basis; to feel her wrap her arms around him in a tender hug when they were alone together, even though the bliss was always short-lived.

Drying himself off, Neji donned a clean set of traditional Hyuga robes before exiting his room and heading back toward Keiden's.

The door was closed, which could only mean she was still getting dressed. Nevertheless, Neji knocked lightly, already anxious to see her again.

She emerged not long after, wearing a dark green kimono with sleeves that were too long. "Hanabi lent it to me," she explained happily, deftly rolling the material so as to free her hands. The outfit matched her eyes perfectly. Neji also noticed that Keiden had left her hair out of its usual braid— a sight he'd never seen before. The silver curls provided such a lovely contrast to the deep color of the kimono, framing her face in all the right places.

Though Neji had never used the word "beautiful" before, it was really the only way to describe her. He took her hand. "Ready?"

She nodded.

Hiashi was already waiting for them in the smaller of the two dining rooms at the other end of the Compound. Neji caught the way his uncle's right eye twitched slightly and the way his gaze shifted to their intertwined hands when he opened the door.

"Welcome," he said politely, nodding in Keiden's direction. "I don't believe I've ever properly introduced myself. I am Neji's uncle, Hiashi Hyuga." He held out a hand.

Keiden's hand fumbled in the air for only a split-second before meeting Hiashi's in a respectful shake. "Pleased to meet you, Lord Hyuga. I'm Keiden."

Hiashi chuckled, but the gesture didn't quite make it to his eyes. "I see my nephew's been giving you a few pointers about our ways. I'm impressed." He motioned toward the simply set table. "Come. Let us dine, shall we?"

If Keiden had been nervous during the meal, she'd done an excellent job of masking it. She'd responded easily to Hiashi's questions, which had been few to begin with, resulting in a significant change in the man's overall expression whenever he now looked upon her. This in turn only reiterated in Neji's mind that Keiden's effect on people was indeed astounding.

In fact, her effect on Neji himself was almost too much to bear— they were, of course, sitting next to each other, with Keiden's thigh just _barely_ touching his own. The charge that surged through this feather-light connection was enough of a distraction to have to make him ask Hiashi to repeat himself when his uncle's questions were directed at him.

Before long, Hiashi stood, making his way toward the door and opening it. "Keiden, I'm grateful that you decided to join us tonight. However, I hope you will not mind my speaking to Neji alone for a moment."

"Of course not." She rose graciously to her feet, walking through the doorway. Neji suspected she'd already concocted a plan to keep herself from overhearing this conversation. Her eyes met Hiashi's chin. "And the pleasure was mine, my lord."

Hiashi closed the door behind him.

"A remarkable child," he muttered fondly.

"You _do_ realize that she's twenty years old, don't you?" Neji said, smirking. "In fact, she'll be twenty-one in a few months. She's no more a child than I am."

Hiashi smiled at that. "Being the age I am, everyone is a child." Then his brow furrowed. "You're sure about this?"

Neji didn't need further expansion. He didn't need any more time to think about it, either.

"Yes."

His uncle still looked rather wary. "Is _she_ sure?"

Neji's shoulders hunched a fraction of an inch. "I don't know," he whispered truthfully.

"But you want her to be." It wasn't a question.

The younger Hyuga's eyes closed.

"You're afraid— both of you are. I understand the burden that your promise brings, especially now that I have a much better idea of what this young woman is like." Hiashi's tone was serious, yet consoling. "But you shouldn't let that get in the way of how you feel about her, just as she shouldn't let it cloud her feelings for you. It's been almost two years, now."

Neji still had trouble believing that, a little more than twenty months ago, he'd discovered a broken Keiden on the forest floor. At times, it only felt like twenty minutes.

"Nobody else has ever made you this happy, Neji. You can't deny that," Hiashi finished. "Do what's truly best for the both of you."

Suddenly, everything fell into place in Neji's mind. He raised his head, shooting an extremely grateful glance in his uncle's direction.

Hiashi grinned wisely. "Very well, Neji. You're dismissed."


	11. Chapter 11

"I must say, that's probably the longest it's ever taken me to pin you down," Keiden said, straddling Neji's hips while holding the kunai he'd given her to his neck. She kissed the tip of his nose. "Well done."

Instead of immediately jumping up and resuming their sparring session like they always did, they remained in what would be, in someone else's eyes, a rather compromising position. Neji didn't mind in the slightest, and he knew Keiden didn't, either. She lightly tossed the kunai into the thin layer of snow and lay shyly against his chest, tracing patterns on his shirt with her fingers. In response, Neji wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. He nestled his cheek in her hair, breathing in her scent.

He wanted to stay like this forever.

But he was such a coward. Weeks had passed since Hiashi had given him his blessing, and Neji still hadn't plucked up enough courage to do what he so, _so_ badly wanted to do. Even eons of preparation wouldn't make him brave enough.

"Your heart sounds so sad. . ." Keiden murmured, the fluttering of her lips tickling his chest.

His throat constricted at her words. He still wasn't entirely sure if she'd be willing to go along with this— that is, if he ever got around to _asking_ her. He desperately wanted to believe that she had let go of her fear, that she would help him let go of his, once and for all.

_Just _do_ it!_

"Keiden," he said softly.

"Mmm?" she breathed.

He sat up and arranged her so that she now rested comfortably in his lap, her torso still cradled in his embrace. How on _earth_ was he supposed to begin?

"I just. . . well. . ." _Pathetic! The truth! Just give her the truth!_ "I want to say that. . ." He trailed off, his nerves reeling.

"Neji?" She put a worried hand to his cheek.

Despite everything, that was all it took.

"I love you," he whispered.

Keiden stiffened in his arms, her hand dropping from his face. "W-what?" Her voice quivered.

This was the one time Neji was actually glad to repeat himself. "I love you, Keiden."

She was out of his hold in an instant, now standing a few feet away from him. A variety of emotions flickered across her face, going from scared to relieved, from nervous to. . . agonized.

Neji stood gingerly, taking a step toward her.

"I can't," Keiden said weakly. She was shaking.

He froze in his tracks. _She doesn't feel the same. . . about me?_

What she did next nearly startled him out of his wits: she fell to her knees, her head in her hands, whimpering, "I do. . . I do. . ."

Neji quickly closed the distance between them, gathering her into his arms once more. "That's all I needed to hear," he said into her hair, kissing the curls over and over again.

So she wanted him, just as much as he wanted her. And, all this time, she'd been just as terrified about it. This revelation kept Neji going, pushing him in the direction he'd been desiring to travel for so long. He cupped her face in his hands, taking in her glistening eyes. His heart was beating so hard, he was afraid it would burst before he could get the words out.

"Please," he begged. "Marry me."

Keiden gasped.

Time seemed to come to an absolute standstill as Neji waited for her to respond. He hoped, he _prayed_, that Fate would be kind to him once again—

Keiden wound her slender arms around his neck, her fingers in his hair.

"Yes," she hiccupped.

And all Neji could do was smile.


	12. Chapter 12

"Is one week really enough time?" Keiden asked. "You only proposed yesterday."

Neji propped himself on an elbow, gazing at the woman who was curled in a sleepy ball next to him. They'd stayed up the entire night, huddled on Keiden's mattress. After getting over the relative euphoria of yesterday's events, they'd wanted nothing more than to just _talk_.

"Considering that only five people will be attending," Neji said, yawning, "one week is more than enough time."

"Five," Keiden repeated, counting off her fingers. "You and me. . . your uncle. . . and two elders?"

"Precisely." Neji pressed his hand against her palm, comparing the significant size difference. He could easily bend his fingers over hers. "It'll be a quiet ceremony."

"I think a winter wedding will be gorgeous," she said.

"Why do you say that?" Neji inquired softly, laying down again and snaking an arm around her waist.

"Everything will be the complete opposite of what I see every day," she answered, planting her lips along the line of his jaw. Neji's pulse stuttered.

They would wait until their honeymoon, of course, but that didn't mean Neji wasn't immune to Keiden's touch. It took every ounce of self-control he had to keep himself from crushing his lips to hers whenever she caressed his cheek, from letting his hands stray too far down her waist whenever she hugged him, from shivering with pleasure whenever she whispered into his ear, her breath a strong elixir against his alabaster skin.

He still hadn't given her a ring, but, frankly, he wasn't surprised that Keiden had never asked about it; she probably already knew about the customs of a Hyuga wedding, anyway. Hiashi had both of their rings in his possession, safeguarding them in his private chambers until the ceremony. Neji had wanted to see them, but his uncle had insisted they remained a surprise. He wasn't quite sure what that meant.

This was going to be the longest week of his entire life.


	13. Chapter 13

"Gotcha," Neji murmured into Keiden's ear, one arm trapping her waist and the other looping around her neck. He immediately let her go.

"I knew you could do it." She beamed. . . but her eyes were strangely stony. Was she upset that Neji had finally managed to land an attack on her? No, that wasn't it. Distracted, maybe? The wedding _was_ to be held this evening, after all.

Neji suddenly became a little nervous. _Cold feet?_

"We should call it a day, while you're ahead," she continued, raising a teasing eyebrow. "I'll let you have something to brag about for a while."

He didn't argue— though he hid it well, he was excited beyond belief— but he knew that he didn't want to be at all tired for this ceremony. And that funny look that still resided in Keiden's eyes indicated that maybe she wanted a bit of time to relax. He understood completely.

She reached for his hand, clasping it tighter than usual. He reassured her by rubbing small circles against her skin with his thumb.

The walk to the Compound was, as always, silent. This time, however, it was uncomfortable, strained. Keiden's eyes were directed at the ground, her brow furrowed by the tiniest degree. Neji tried to reason with himself that if something were truly the matter, Keiden wouldn't hesitate to voice it; he figured her current behavior most likely had to do with something like thinking about where their honeymoon would be— and he wasn't about to tell her that.

He automatically made his way toward her room; dropping her off there was second nature to him now. However, Keiden made no move to follow him. Confused, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you don't mind my asking. . ." she began after a long pause. "May I bathe with you?"

If this would calm her nerves, then he could see no reason why not. "Of course."

He grabbed towels and bathrobes for the both of them, as well as some soap and a simple bottle of shampoo. It was definitely weird, having Keiden in his room, even though he'd spent mounds of time in hers; but, at the same time, it felt so right.

"This way," he said, taking her hand once more.

His bathhouse was already steaming madly, what with the sharp chill that winter brought. He felt Keiden's hand slacken a little in his grip; perhaps her nerves were finally starting to leave her.

He turned away to give her some privacy. "I won't look," he promised.

He heard the faint rustle of her clothes as she removed them from her body and let them flutter to the floor; then the light, rippling sound of the water greeted his ears, and he violently shoved all images of her curves being encased by the liquid and steam out of his mind.

"I'm decent," she announced.

And with that, Neji stripped as well, stepping into the tub and dunking his entire body into the boiling depths, keeping his eyes closed until he emerged again.

Keiden was shoulder-deep in the inky water, her arms wrapped around herself and her thick hair plastered against her skin. She seemed perfectly content with just standing there, but Neji could see the tension in her shoulders and neck, and he gently urged her to lean against his chest, to let the steam do its job.

They remained like that for quite some time, with Neji planting the occasional kiss to her temples, her chin, the back of her neck, trying to soothe her. She was still so quiet.

The hour of the ceremony drawing nearer, they left the bathhouse, drying their hair and donning their bathrobes. Hinata was to help her dress for the wedding, but Keiden didn't seem ready to go back to her own room just yet. Instead, she felt around Neji's room for his bed and noiselessly climbed onto it, tucking her legs underneath her.

Neji joined her not long after, opting for the edge of his mattress to give her some space, even though her eyes told him she wanted him close by.

"Keiden. . ." he began.

Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck and began kissing him with such urgency that his only reaction was to kiss her back. His lips explored her throat, his hands eagerly splayed across her smooth stomach. . . she moaned in his ear—

_Knock knock knock._

"Keiden? Are you in there?" Hinata's voice came from the other side of Neji's door.

They instantly released each other, their breath coming out in short pants.

"Just a moment," Keiden called back assuredly, already composing herself. She turned again to Neji, a bright grin glued to her face. "I'll see you very soon," she whispered, winking at her joke.

But her eyes were dead.

She hopped off the bed and stepped to the door, opening it. Hinata was waiting politely, a delicate smile on her lips.

"I checked your room," she explained. "But you weren't there. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Keiden replied easily, taking Hinata's proffered hand and exiting the room, leaving Neji quite alone.

He hadn't moved since he'd let her go, but he now put a trembling hand to his lips.

_Something's wrong_.

And he had no idea what it was. At this point, he _knew_ Keiden wasn't going to tell him, whether he asked her to or not. He could only hope that the completion of the wedding ceremony would be enough to erase whatever was troubling her so much from her mind.

He slowly dressed himself in the ceremonial robes that had once belonged to his father, the ones he'd worn to his own wedding many, many years ago. They provided Neji with a sense of comfort, and he sincerely wished he could transfer this feeling to Keiden. Leaving his forehead protector on his bedside table, he took one last look in his mirror before turning away and letting his bedroom door click shut.

"I remember the day Hizashi wore those," Hiashi said from behind him. "He was smiling so hard, I was afraid his mouth was going to fall off."

". . ." It wasn't often that his father's twin relayed moments like that, so Neji tilted his head gratefully.

They strode side by side toward a room that Neji had never before entered. Two Hyuga elders were already waiting for them at the back of this room, which was mostly empty, save for a small altar.

"Hinata will bring her in shortly," Hiashi offered, catching the way Neji's eyes searched momentarily for green orbs and thick curls. He motioned for his nephew to kneel at the right of the altar, while he himself sat opposite of Neji.

Not long after, the door opened again, and Hinata poked her violet head into the room. "Oh. Everyone's here already," she said quietly. "You can come in, Keiden."

She moved aside, letting a tiny, silver-haired beauty step past her, and she closed the door.

Neji's eyes widened at the white dress that snugly enveloped Keiden's curves, sleeves flaring delicately at her hands and hem brushing her pale ankles in a loving caress. He recognized it instantly from the photographs he'd seen as a child.

_That's. . . that's my mother's dress. . . _A lump rose to his throat.

"Hinata has outdone herself," Hiashi remarked, nodding at the intricate knot that was Keiden's hair. "You look lovely."

"Thank you," Keiden said humbly, making her way toward the sound of the clan leader's voice.

"Right there is far enough," Hiashi instructed kindly. "Kneel down."

She obliged, settling elegantly next to Neji, her rosebud lips forming a serene smile. There was no sign of that deadness in her eyes anymore.

The ceremony had indeed been quiet: Hiashi had read a scroll of ancient Hyuga text, emphasizing the significance of this union, while the two elders had merely watched the couple exchanging the rings that Hiashi had finally brought out. Neji's heart had nearly stopped when he'd discovered that these rings had also belonged to his parents. He'd seen why his uncle had been so adamant about keeping them a surprise.

They finished by having the five of them sign a thick piece of paper— Neji guiding Keiden's hand to her line— making it official.

The three eldest Hyuga members left the room with a reverent "Congratulations," giving the newlyweds a moment of privacy before they were to depart for the site of their honeymoon.

Neji held his wife's face— his _wife's_ face— tenderly in his hands, drinking in the sight of her.

"How I wish I could see you," she said thickly, her thumb tracing his smiling lips.

"But you _can_ see me," Neji murmured. "You're the only one who ever has."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, huddling into his chest. "I love you so much."

It was the first time she'd ever said it out loud to him, instead of just expressing it with heartfelt actions. His spirits soared, and he held her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

Her chuckle vibrated against his lungs. "Where?" she asked. He knew what she meant.

"We're spending five days at a private bathhouse, just outside the border of northern Konoha."

"That sounds. . ." she searched for the word. ". . . perfect."

Neji kept an arm around her shoulder, while she held onto his waist, and they headed back to his bedroom to gather the bags he'd packed beforehand without her knowledge. His nerves were tingling with ecstatic anticipation— five days, five days with no distractions, no intrusions— and he was certainly going to make these the most memorable five days of Keiden's life. He didn't know what he'd been so worried about before; Keiden's previous behavior had simply been attributed to pre-wedding jitters, but now she was as collected as ever.

They entered his room, not bothering to turn on the lights; they'd be gone soon enough, anyway. As Neji groped in the darkness for their belongings, a tiny flash of light caught his eye, and he whirled around, greeted by the sight of a bespectacled man.

There was a sharp pain at his temple, and Neji crumpled, his world black.


	14. Chapter 14

Hiashi looked extremely disturbed. "I'll never be able to forgive myself for this," he said gravely. "I should have known."

Neji was beyond frantic; he'd been shaken awake by his uncle only minutes ago, and pandemonium had instantly pervaded his mind.

"Who was that man, disguised as you?" Hiashi's voice cracked.

"Kabuto Yakushi," Neji growled.

Kabuto had attacked the instant Neji had let his guard down, and, now, Keiden was gone. Hiashi had told him that Keiden had left with the man he'd thought to be Neji, but when he'd been patrolling the halls of the Compound, he'd sensed Neji's chakra coming from his bedroom.

What Neji still didn't understand was _why_ Keiden was gone in the first place. Though she'd never fought Kabuto before, there wasn't a doubt in Neji's mind that she could have easily defeated him. _So why is she. . .?_

"No," he gasped.

Hiashi's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"She knew he was coming after her," Neji moaned. "And she didn't tell anyone." Her tension, her silence, her last kiss— she'd known the entire day that Kabuto would make his way into the Hyuga Compound, instantly recognizing his heartbeat from her first encounter with him, all those months ago, once he'd been within her range of hearing.

"But that doesn't explain why she so willingly went with him—"

"Think about it, Uncle: Kabuto conducts experiments on humans who possess notable power. Keiden has been making a name for herself since the moment my mission was terminated. It wouldn't be difficult for word of her skill to reach the ears of someone like him," Neji spat bitterly. "She didn't tell anyone. . . and she went with him. . . to keep everyone else safe."

Hiashi blinked. "Incredible. She would go so far as to. . ." He winced. "You must find her. I'll alert Lady Tsunade immediately, to get you a squad." He left without another word.

Neji wasted no time in emptying his bag of the contents originally intended for his honeymoon, placing items like blankets, bandages, and water bottles in there instead. He knew what Kabuto was capable of— an image of a battered and bleeding Naruto Uzumaki, dragging an equally beaten Tsunade into the village, burned itself into his retinas. And these were two of the most powerful people Neji had ever known.

He shuddered violently.

Hiashi had stayed true to his word. Within a matter of minutes, two figures, belonging to Sakura and Kakashi, were standing solemnly at the gates of the Compound, carrying their own packs of medical supplies.

"A snowstorm's about to hit," Sakura pointed out, sprinting alongside the two jounin. "That means they've already gained a huge lead." She wasn't saying it to dishearten them; in fact, her words had quite the opposite effect.

This was incentive.

Kakashi had already picked up a trail, much to Neji's relief, and the three of them bounded determinedly south, surging chakra into their every leap.

_Hold on, Keiden. . . please. . . hold on. . . _


	15. Chapter 15

"Try to calm down, Neji," Sakura pleaded. "It's only been five days."

They had to stop, yet _again_, to seek shelter from the ruthless snowstorm that sliced through the icy air. They would have kept going, but even Neji's Byakugan had trouble penetrating the white walls of frozen flakes. This time, they resided under the lip of a curved boulder.

"_Only_?" he retorted, his voice deadly.

"Think about it," Kakashi said. "Kabuto takes his time with his experiments."

They all blanched at that.

When the storm weakened, their drive to find Kabuto's hideout increased tenfold; Neji didn't need Sakura and Kakashi to tell him that they loved Keiden, too. She'd helped Sakura many times around Konoha's hospital, fascinated by everything there was to learn about medicine, chakra-related or not. She'd also caused Kakashi to develop what could only be called brotherly affection for her— the look in the Copy-ninja's visible eye whenever they'd trained together evinced as much.

They didn't want to lose her, either.

A few hours later, Kakashi held up a hand, causing Neji and Sakura to stop in their tracks. The three of them now stood at the cavernous mouth of a low-ceilinged cave.

"In there. . .?" Sakura said tentatively.

Kakashi shook his head. "A mile away. Sakura, I want you to set up camp here. Neji and I will continue ahead."

The pink-haired chunin nodded, her eyes somber. "Be careful."

The jounin left their packs with her, freeing their hands considerably, before rushing through a thicket of pine trees.

"I'll take care of Kabuto," Kakashi said, his voice seemingly struggling to remain neutral. "Your only job is to get Keiden out of there. Don't worry about me."

". . ." Neji was terrified of what he might see when they finally ambushed Kabuto; what could the man have done to her within the span of five days?

Soon enough, Kakashi signaled that they'd reached their destination: beneath a single boulder, a small set of stairs led to an underground passageway. They concealed their chakra—all-too aware of Kabuto's strong sensory capabilities— and silently navigated their way through the pitch-black tunnel, straining their ears for something, _anything_.

"Your tolerance of pain is extraordinary," crooned a man's voice from around a corner. Kakashi put a finger to his masked lips. "But I'm afraid I'm already growing bored of this."

There was no doubt about it— that was Kabuto speaking.

"Don't you worry that pretty head of yours," he continued. "I'll take _good_ care of your husband when I return to the village. . ."

"N-no—" But Keiden's voice was cut off by a choking sound.

"Shh. . ." Kabuto purred. Neji shivered, shutting his eyes at the huskiness of the man's tone. "But, you know, I really am going to miss your skin. . . so soft. . ."

Kakashi had to hold Neji back with both arms to prevent him from giving away their position. The Hyuga's entire body was on fire. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to tear Kabuto apart, limb from limb.

Then there was a terrible ripping noise.

"Any last words?" Kabuto hissed, his question slithering across the walls of the tunnel in a way that rivaled the manner of his deceased master.

Kakashi released Neji, dashing around the corner and roaring, "Get your filthy hands off her!"

Neji's ears picked up a scuffle and the grunt of a man being picked up and shoved. He sped around the corner as well, his eyes resting for a split-second on the sight of Kakashi holding a very surprised Kabuto by his neck against the stony wall. Then he looked to his left.

"_No_," he whispered, horrified.

His mother's wedding dress was torn, bloodied. . . too loose. Gashes of scarlet danced across her stomach, her back— and the sleeve of her right arm had only recently been shredded to tatters, four deep lacerations running from shoulder to wrist, dripping freely. He saw that her legs were nothing more than tiny masses of angry blisters, her skirt having been hiked up almost to her knees. Her hair had fallen out of its bun, cascading in tangled waves down her back. Bruises covered her throat, and her left hand grasped at the material near her chest; she couldn't seem to catch her breath, a shallow, rattling sound coming from her lungs.

Despite all of this, Keiden's eyes never left the forms of the two white-haired men before her.

"Neji!" Kakashi growled, snapping the Hyuga out of his initial shock. "Get her out of here!"

Neji was afraid to touch her— doing so would only make her suffer even more— but he obeyed immediately, crouching down and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She was shaking uncontrollably, her breathing still so labored.

Kabuto chuckled darkly, twisting Neji's insides into an agonizing knot. "Come here to save her, have you? I think you're a bit late for that."

_Shut up, just shut up! She'll be all right. . . she'll be. . ._

"Look at her," Kabuto taunted. "She won't last another five—"

It had happened so fast that Neji had missed it.

Keiden was now on her feet, coughing, her limbs quivering madly. Kakashi and Kabuto were both, strangely, on the floor— Kakashi to Keiden's left, sprawled on his back, gazing at her as if he'd never seen her before, while Kabuto was lying in a crumpled heap, eerily unmoving, at her right.

She stumbled forward, and Neji swiftly caught her before she could crash to the stone floor, troubled by the way he could easily feel her ribs beneath the fabric of her dress. Her breath came out in quick, painful gusts, as if something were suffocating her and she just couldn't get enough air. To Neji's horror, she reached for her right shoulder and plucked something from it. An empty vial.

_Poison._

He then realized what she'd done: she'd heard the friction of the needle against the air the moment Kabuto had discreetly removed it from its hiding place, intending to incapacitate Kakashi. She'd pushed the two men away from each other, using the last of her strength to take the poison herself and save Kakashi's life.

But that still didn't explain why Kabuto wasn't stirring. Was it an act?

"Byakugan," Neji said mutely, the veins protruding acquiescently.

_It. . . it can't be. . ._

Kabuto was dead.

But _how_? His bloodline limit searched the body for any kind of clue. He soon discovered an even smaller vial, pierced into Kabuto's jugular.

"She poisoned him. . ." he murmured in astonishment, getting to his feet. Keiden was lighter than ever, which disturbed him greatly.

". . . no. . ." she panted. ". . . vial. . . had a-air. . ."

Of course— it made perfect sense now; knowing Kabuto, he'd probably trained to make himself immune to every poison known to man. But even his medical expertise couldn't have stopped the effects of an air bubble, once it had entered his bloodstream— he'd died instantly.

The poison was already beginning to take its toll on Keiden's body: she clamped her mouth shut in an effort not to cry out, her eyes following suit. Neji hugged her closer to his chest, turning toward Kakashi.

"We've got to get out of here."

Kakashi flinched at the sight of the figure in Neji's arms. "Right." Approaching Kabuto's body, he flung it unceremoniously over his shoulder. "Lady Tsunade told me to bring him back," he explained, not delving any further than that.

The snow started up once they made it outside again, pelting them with tiny, icy knives. Neji did the best he could to shield Keiden; her shivering hadn't yet abated. Without any indication, the pair of jounin sprinted back toward the cave where Sakura was waiting.

"Give her to me," the medic commanded, her professional tone taking over.

Neji transferred the woman into Sakura's arms, his heart constricting at her limp form. Kakashi led him to the other end of the cave to give the two women some space.

"She'll be okay," the older man said, though he didn't sound very convincing.

Neji put his face in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. He'd never been so frightened in his entire life; seeing Keiden like that, so weak, so exhausted. . . it was terrifyingly unfamiliar. And there had been so much blood. . .

"Neji?" Sakura had approached him when he hadn't been paying attention, kneeling carefully next to him for who knew how long. "I need your help."

He gulped thickly. Sakura's skill was such that it didn't take her long to stitch wounds, to mend broken bones, to treat burns, to extract poison by herself— what had Kabuto done to make Sakura resort to asking Neji for assistance? He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know.

"His poison was meant for someone with chakra," Sakura explained grimly. "It would paralyze them long enough for him to kill them. With the way it's reacting in Keiden's system, since she doesn't have chakra coils. . . it's causing her excruciating pain."

"What am I supposed to do?" Neji croaked.

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I managed to extract it from her right arm before it caused any more damage. However. . . there's much more of it in her back. Whatever Kabuto used to cut it had been laced with the poison, and the wounds aren't as recent. The poison has already settled into the pain receptors of the skin surrounding these cuts. Keiden doesn't want me to touch them." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I need you to hold onto her while I remove the poison from her back."

Keiden was lying on her left side, her body convulsing weakly under a heavy blanket. Neji propped her up in his lap, holding her to his chest. Her right arm, now heavily bandaged, was tucked at his back. Her burned legs were bandaged as well.

She was still having trouble breathing.

"Why can't she. . .?" He trailed off.

A shadow crossed Sakura's face. "Kabuto tried to strangle her, nearly crushing her trachea. It'll have to heal on its own." Neji looked away while she gently unbuttoned the back of Keiden's dress and removed a rather large needle from the medical pouch at her waist. "These needles are typically used for extracting bone marrow. They're the perfect size for this procedure as well," she explained, noticing the Hyuga's wariness.

". . . no. . . d-don't. . ." Keiden whimpered into Neji's left shoulder.

"I'll work quickly," Sakura assured her. "I promise."

The instant the tip of the needle pierced the inflamed skin at her back, Keiden screamed.

The foreign sound ripped at Neji's heart, a barrage of white-hot daggers in his chest. The tube of the giant needle filled rapidly with a black substance.

"It's all right," Sakura murmured consolingly, squirting the poison onto the ground next to her and holding a lighter flame to the tip of the needle. "It's coming out faster than I thought— this is good."

Keiden shuddered against Neji. ". . . stop. . . please. . ."

"I'm sorry," her pink-haired friend said sincerely, aiming at her back once again.

Keiden pressed her face into the thick fabric of her husband's shirt, trying to muffle her tortured screams. Neji gritted his teeth, praying, _praying_ that he could take her pain upon himself. By the time the needle filled once again, she was sobbing brokenly against his shoulder.

". . . kill. . . me. . ." she begged. ". . . k-kill. . ."

"Just one more time, Keiden." Sakura looked distraught now. So. . . she'd never heard Keiden scream before, either.

In an attempt to soothe his crying wife, Neji put his lips to her ear. "Third time's a charm. . . third time's a charm. . ." he chanted shakily, trying to help her remember what she'd always told herself when learning something new during a training session.

Sakura put the needle to her back one last time, extracting the remnants of Kabuto's poison in a matter of seconds. "It's over."

If Neji thought Keiden had been limp before, it was nothing compared to how she slumped in his arms now. She didn't even flinch when Sakura hurriedly stitched the gouge marks, wrapped her torso in bandages, and re-buttoned her bloodstained dress.

When Sakura made a move to take Keiden from his arms, Neji responded instinctively by holding her even closer. The kunoichi sighed, understanding, and handed him a few extra blankets.

"She's too exhausted to shiver anymore," she noted sadly.

Neji cocooned Keiden in three blankets and adjusted her so that her head now rested on his right shoulder. He cradled her wasted cheek in his hand, amazed that she was still conscious after all that had happened. Anyone else would have passed out hours ago.

_Your tolerance of pain is extraordinary. . ._ so that was what Kabuto had meant.

"We need to get some fluids in her. She's dehydrated, and she's lost too much blood," Sakura pointed out. "She's not out of the woods yet. Her heart's working to compensate for all the damage— she could go into cardiac arrest at any time." She grabbed a water bottle from Neji's bag and poured some of its contents into one of the mess kit cups they'd packed. "And we can't get her to the hospital until this snowstorm dies down a little."

She held the cup to Keiden's lips, encouraging her to drink. The agony that swallowing brought was evident in her emerald eyes, but that was it— Keiden didn't make a single sound.

Neji buried his face in her hair, signaling Sakura to leave them alone. "Don't hesitate to call me over here," she said.

He nodded.

The couple sat quietly, Keiden nestled safely in Neji's embrace. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes, which were now closed— but she wasn't sleeping. He wordlessly urged her to rest, kissing her eyelids, assuring her that he wouldn't let her go.

". . . can't. . ." she mouthed, trying, and failing, to hide her wince.

So she was still in too much pain to fall asleep.

"Sakura?" Neji called softly.

She was at his side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"Isn't there anything you can give her?" he implored.

Sakura suddenly looked ashamed of herself. "I didn't think to pack any rosemary," she gasped. "Keiden and I discovered a while ago that it's an effective natural painkiller."

". . . s'all right. . . Sakura. . ." Keiden said. ". . . still. . . like you. . ." A tiny smile tugged at her lips.

Sakura's expression softened. "Thank you, Keiden." Her voice shook and she left again.

A while later, Neji caught snippets of the conversation Sakura and Kakashi were having at the other side of the cave; they mainly included the explanation of Kabuto's death, but Sakura's reaction didn't sound the least bit surprised when she'd learned that Keiden had delivered the fatal blow.

". . . Neji. . ." Keiden eventually whispered, her eyelids fluttering open.

"Yes?" he breathed.

She sighed. ". . . love you. . ."

Neji couldn't help but grin. "I love you, too."

He pressed his lips to her forehead, running his fingers through her tangled hair until the curls were smooth once again, hating himself for wondering if Keiden was just putting on a brave face for his sake. Even after everything she'd been through, was she still trying to spare his feelings, to make up for revealing her weakness when she'd screamed?

It was times like these that Neji felt he didn't deserve her.

". . . not afraid—" She broke off, coughing.

Startled, Neji lifted her, rubbing her back in an attempt to regulate her breathing. This only made things worse— she coughed harder, this time producing an alarming amount of blood. Then she gave a rattling gasp and became very still.

"SAKURA!" Neji cried.

Keiden was out of his arms and flat on the floor, Sakura peeling the blankets off her. Her eyes had closed once again, and she'd stopped breathing altogether.

"No pulse," Sakura said fearfully. She began administering chest compressions, her palms pushing against Keiden's heart in rapid succession.

Neji fell to his knees. _No. . . no, please, this can't be happening!_

"Neji, get back, I need room!" Sakura ordered.

But he couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.

A pair of strong arms grabbed him from behind and pulled him away, pointlessly restraining him.

"Come on. . . come on. . ." Sakura muttered, still trying to restart her friend's heart.

Neji's vision was blurring, and he couldn't feel his legs anymore. "K-Keiden. . ." he choked.

Kakashi's arms trembled around him.

_Please. . . please. . ._

"You've come this far," Sakura told the unmoving woman beneath her hands. "Don't do this now. . . come on, Keiden. . ."

She put an ear to Keiden's chest.

_Please don't leave me. . ._

"I've got a heartbeat," she announced wearily, covering her eyes with a hand.

Kakashi let Neji go, and the Hyuga landed numbly on the ground, his body shaking with relief.

"This is too risky," Kakashi said after a moment of complete silence. "We have to get her to the hospital, now."


	16. Chapter 16

Sakura closed the sliding door behind her. "Her condition's been stabilized."

Kakashi, who'd been leaning against the wall outside the room, unfolded his arms and walked away without a word.

"He's still upset," Sakura whispered to Neji, "about Keiden taking the poison for him." She straightened up. "She's still unconscious, and I've given her blood transfusions and a feeding tube, as well as an oxygen tank. These made regulating her heartbeat easier, especially when—" She broke off, looking away.

"When what?" Neji pressed, getting to his feet.

Sakura shuddered. "Don't lose your head, Neji— she's all right now. . . but her heart stopped again when I was putting the feeding tube in."

Neji sank and grasped the armrests of his chair for support. The thought of Keiden going into cardiac arrest again pulsed painful tattoos against the plates of his skull. He hadn't been there. . . what if she hadn't come back that time?

"Like I said, the tank and transfusions helped a lot," the medic continued quietly. "As overworked as her heart's been, it's going to be just fine."

It was a while before Neji spoke again. "Can I see her?" he murmured.

"Yes," Sakura said, without a trace of hesitation.

Keiden looked so small in the pale green hospital gown that she now wore. Her eyes were closed, purple lids evincing her exhaustion. She was completely still, save for the steady rising and falling of her malnourished chest. Neji sat next to her bed, taking her left hand. Her wedding ring was slipping loosely from her finger.

"By medical standards, she died twice in less than two days," Sakura mused gently. "It's truly a miracle."

Neji kissed each of Keiden's knuckles, grateful that they were warm again.

_No, Sakura. . . _she_ is the miracle. _


	17. Chapter 17

Neji sat in the middle of his room and attempted to calm himself in order to begin meditating. It had already been almost eleven days, and Keiden still wasn't awake yet. Whenever his fear threatened to take over, he had to slam every negative thought away.

_She's going to be all right. . . even Sakura told us that. . ._

However, he couldn't completely ignore the fact that since Keiden didn't have any chakra, she couldn't be healed as assuredly as someone who did. What if something happened that nobody could control? What if her heart— _stop it. She'll wake up. She has to. . ._

Still worried, Neji stood up and began to pace. Through the heavy bandages, anyone could see that Keiden's color was coming back, thanks to the blood transfusions; she didn't need the oxygen tank anymore, simply because her windpipe had repaired itself miraculously fast; all that was left was the feeding tube, giving her the nutrients she'd lacked during her ordeal. The pink-haired medic had told him it would come out this morning, just to see how long it would take for Keiden to wake up after that. Neji implored the heavens to bring her to finally open her eyes—

"Neji! _Neji_! Can I come in?" Hanabi banged incessantly on his bedroom door. "C'mon, Neji!"

Figuring it was important— his younger cousin hardly bothered him otherwise— he quietly opened the door, the sight of a red-faced and flustered Hanabi greeting him.

"What is it?"

"It's— it's Keiden," she said breathlessly. "She's. . . she's. . ."

Alarmed, Neji blurted, "What's going on? What happened?"

The girl heaved a great sigh. "She's awake," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Were his ears deceiving him? "Sh-she's—?"

"Yeah," Hanabi sniffed.

He dashed from his room, calling out a quick "Thank you" before going into an all-out sprint. Outside, the buildings around him zoomed by, creating blurs of different colors. Some people shouted at him, asking what was wrong, but he ignored them.

Having memorized where her room was— he'd visited her every single day— he was at the doorway in no time.

The emerald orbs were there, all right. Neji could have wept.


	18. Chapter 18

"I get to go home today? Really?" Keiden sat up higher in her bed, the beginnings of a smile on her face.

Sakura laughed. "I still can't get over just how quickly you heal. There's heavy scarring— but that's to be expected. Everything else checks out okay."

Neji was overjoyed that he wouldn't have to walk home alone anymore; his wife's absence had been utterly suffocating. He couldn't believe that her physical injuries had healed over the course of only three weeks— but, then again, he shouldn't have been so surprised; he remembered that her broken legs from over two years ago had recovered within seven weeks. However. . . the emotional trauma from this last event would be another matter entirely.

"You'll still need to take it easy for a while," Sakura finished, her tone indicating that it was best not to argue.

"I'll make sure she does," Neji said. Keiden's hand found his.

Before long, Keiden was dressed in her normal attire, her hair back in its trademark braid. Seeing her standing again was one of the most glorious things Neji had ever laid eyes on, and he let her know that by cupping her face in his hands and planting a tender kiss on the lips he'd been craving for the longest time.

"Thank you for everything, Sakura." Keiden hugged her friend.

The kunoichi returned the embrace. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Keiden giggled. "Or a patient," she muttered cheerfully.

The medic glanced at Neji. "I guess I never thought to mention this before, but. . . congratulations."

Neji knew what she meant. "Thank you." He tried to pour as much gratitude into those two words as possible, conveying to Sakura just how much everything she'd done meant to him.

"You're welcome," she mouthed.

The couple was soon greeted by Kakashi when they left the hospital, and the white-haired jounin quickly gathered Keiden into a tight hug.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough," he whispered to her before shaking Neji's hand.

Keiden actually seemed to consider this for a moment. "Call me 'Sister,'" she said.

Kakashi blinked. "W-what?"

"You're like a brother to me, Kakashi," Keiden explained softly. "Please acknowledge me as your sister. That's how you can thank me."

The Copy-ninja beamed so hard that Neji could see it through his mask. "You've got it. . . Sis." He clapped Neji on the shoulder, bidding the two of them a sincere "Congratulations" and walking away.

Neji fingered Keiden's wrist fondly, touched by her kindness.

The journey home included many visits from more of their friends, offering their congratulations and well wishes. In every pair of eyes encountered, Neji only saw unconditional happiness; everyone seemed almost as ecstatic as he was about Keiden's recovery.

By the time they made it to the Hyuga Compound, the sky was pitch-black, starless. Hiashi was waiting for them at the gate.

"Keiden," he said, grasping her hands. "It is so good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, my lord," she replied, her voice low.

Hiashi chuckled. "There's no need for such formality anymore. You may call me 'Uncle.'"

Keiden's emerald eyes widened. "Uncle. . ." she tested, grinning.

The clan leader gave Neji an appraising look. "I'll let the two of you rest," he said knowingly. Then he vanished.

"Your room." Keiden had answered Neji's unasked question in a faint whisper.

He smiled. "Wait— I want to do this right." Then he picked her up, carrying her bridal-style in his arms.

Her unseeing eyes shone with delight. "It's not the threshold of a new house," she laughed. "I've been in your room before."

"Hn. . ." He kissed the length of her jaw. "Humor me."

He easily navigated his way through the Compound, even though he could only open doors with one hand; setting Keiden back on her feet, he silently closed his bedroom door behind him.

She was already lying on his bed. Neji padded toward her, his bare feet hardly registering the chilly floor beneath them, and settled next to her, caressing her cheeks, her eyebrows, her lips. . .

It felt like a powerful magnet was pulling Neji even closer to her, his body hovering weightlessly over hers. Keiden reached for his face, tracing his features over and over again with soft fingers. He inclined his head toward her, pressing his lips to her throat, and she responded by running her hands down his shoulders, her breathing already quickening. His nerves were on fire while he fingered the waistband of her sweatpants and she shakily unbuttoned his shirt. He pressed himself tightly against her, his lips moving now to her own, the tip of his tongue tracing them, relishing in the _taste_—

"Neji. . ." she moaned when his hands explored the deeply scarred skin under her turtleneck, already aiming to remove this particular piece of clothing from her body. "Neji. . ." She ran her fingers through his hair, gasping when he slid a hand to her thigh and hitched her leg around his hip.

"No," she whimpered, suddenly stiffening under him. "No. . . please, stop!"

He immediately released her, panting. Fear was etched all over her face.

"Keiden?" He watched as she reached blindly for something to cover herself with, settling for the blanket that their embrace had shoved to the other side of Neji's bed and hastily wrapping it around her torso. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry. . ." she said weakly, scooting away from him.

Was she afraid he'd hurt her? _She's been hurt enough already. . . I would _never_—_

"No. . . Neji. . ." She hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her face. "It's not you. . ."

"Keiden." He put a hand on her back— and she _blanched_ from him. "Please. . . tell me what's wrong."

"I-I can't do it," she said. "I can't. . . I can't give you—" She shuddered.

Neji wound his arms around her. He understood that this was difficult for her, that she despised admitting weakness just as much as he did, but he wished she'd just tell him what was troubling her; this behavior was starting to scare him.

After finally getting her shivering under control, Keiden put her head in her hands.

"He. . . h-he. . ." She swallowed. "He raped me."

And she burst into tears.

Neji froze, his world turning upside-down. _So. . . Kabuto. . . that _monster_— he. . . he forced himself onto— he took advantage of—? That MONSTER! _

"The n-night he poisoned my back, I couldn't m-move. . . it h-hurt so much. . ." Keiden sobbed. "I'm so s-sorry. . ."

Her vulnerability dragged him to his senses, and he knew that he'd never be able to even _begin_ to understand just how much it had tortured her to admit this to him. She needed him now, more than ever before.

"Shh. . . shh. . ." He cradled her in his arms, his thumb soothingly stroking her skin, wincing inwardly as he now comprehended Kabuto's words: _". . . I really am going to miss your skin. . . so soft. . ." _The thought of that slippery creature, with his hands all over Keiden— it made Neji absolutely sick to his stomach. "It's not your fault. . . please, don't blame yourself. . ."

He continued to hold her, even after she'd cried herself to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

"Again," Keiden ordered, wiping her palms against each other and climbing off Neji's chest.

He smirked— authority _really _didn't suit her— and raised himself to his feet once more.

They were training in the pouring rain today, which Keiden had insisted upon. This was highly understandable— Neji had immediately recalled the last time they'd trained in the rain: Lee had been with them, and he'd challenged Keiden to a "youthful taijutsu spar." To their immense shock, Lee had easily landed a hard kick on Keiden's jaw, knocking her to the ground. They'd soon discovered that Keiden's impeccable sense of hearing came with a disadvantage: the sound of thousands of raindrops hitting the ground drowned out all other noises— including those of the movements of her enemies.

To Neji, it was the very first time she'd ever actually seemed blind.

So, there they were now, in the muddy training field, soaked completely to the bone and shivering in their water-logged clothing. Keiden wasn't going to let something as mediocre as the rain stop her from taking down a threat— the determination brightened in her eyes. She'd already twice pinned Neji to the ground, but she still didn't seem satisfied.

"Third time's a charm," he heard her murmur to herself. Then she crouched, prepared to attack again, her focus unwavering.

Neji lunged— shifting his weight on the balls of his feet in order to land a sneak attack from behind her— but she retaliated instantaneously this time, diving and wrapping her leg behind his calves, sending him crashing to the ground.

She kissed his icy cheek. "Works every time."

Though they shared a bed every night, they still hadn't made love yet; weeks had passed since Keiden had made her heartbreaking confession, and Neji had decided, right then and there, that he wasn't going to force himself upon her, the way that _snake_, Kabuto, had done. He didn't need her to tell him that she had nightmares— he'd watch her stiffen, eyes shut tightly against her fear, every night. He was sickened by the thought of what she had to experience while she slept; she didn't have images to frighten her, so. . . did she instead dream of smells, noises. . . pain?

Keiden suddenly sneezed.

"We should probably call it a day," Neji remarked, holding in his own sneeze.

She nodded, standing up and offering him a cold hand.

Since they wanted to get out of the rain as quickly as possible, they sprinted home instead of opting for the usual walk, soon dripping steadily all over Neji's bedroom floor.

He opened the door to his bathhouse, his chattering teeth welcoming the engulfing steam. Disregarding all thoughts of modesty, he peeled his wet clothes from himself, tossing them into a squishy heap by the bath. He leapt into the scalding water without another word.

Keiden, silent as always, was soon behind him, winding her arms around his chest. "Anxious, aren't we?" she giggled, kissing his shoulder blades. Even though the bath water was burning his skin, he could feel goosebumps rising under her touch. He tried desperately to focus on something other than the soft grooves of her curves pressing against his back, but this task proved to be quite difficult— the hypersensitive hairs on the back of his neck prickled when she nibbled on his earlobe.

"I don't want to be afraid anymore. . ." she murmured, her breath tickling his ear. He froze, willing himself not to stare at her naked body when she made her way around him and planted tiny kisses along the length of his collarbone.

_Is she. . . what is she saying?_

"I just want you."

She kissed his mouth fervently, as if trying to show him that she was letting him have her, that she really was willing to give herself to him after all this time.

His hands found her thighs, wrapping them around his waist. Neji lifted the both of them from the boiling bath, carrying Keiden to his bed, neither of them caring that they were still wet. He was on top of her once again.

She smiled sweetly at him, her lips no longer blue from the chilly air. "It's all right. . ." she mouthed. He cupped her face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers, all-too mindful that she could sense his trepidation. "It's all right. . ." she said again, pulling him closer and claiming his lips for her own.

His skin burst into hungry flames, his tongue already seeking entrance into her mouth. She obliged with a wild gasp, threading her fingers through his dripping hair and arching her back against him. Neji shivered with pleasure, letting go of her face and running his hands along her shoulders, her back, her waist, her thighs. . . not a single scar on Keiden's body went untouched.

He thrust himself into her, bruising his hips against her own. She responded by digging her fingernails into his back, hugging herself even closer to him. He moaned into her neck, savoring the feel of her skin against his.

It had been nothing less than pure ecstasy.

The sheets were dry by the time Keiden had fallen asleep in his embrace, so Neji covered the two of them with the thickest of his blankets, careful not to wake her. The last thing he saw before succumbing to his own exhaustion was the peaceful expression on his wife's face.


	20. Chapter 20

"Even though I don't have the Byakugan," Keiden chirped, "d'you think I'd still be fast enough to simultaneously attack the pressure points of my opponents?"

". . ." _She said "pressure" points, not "chakra" points. . . what's she planning?_

"If the enemy is too strong, I'll need to have the upper hand in terms of speed," she explained.

"Hn," Neji muttered. "You _already_ have the upper hand in terms of speed."

"No, that's different— I can pin people to the ground before they know what hit them, but they can just as easily get up again."

Neji smirked. _She doesn't seem to be getting it_. "You're doubtful of your strength as well?"

"All right, fine!" Keiden threw up her hands in mock exasperation. "I'm just running out of material!"

_Is she saying that she's bored?_

"Okay. . . maybe I _am_ getting bored. . ." she admitted, scratching her head sheepishly.

With that, Neji stood. If Keiden's time with Sakura had been well spent, she would know exactly where every pressure point on the human body was. He decided to humor her.

"Ready when you are."

Overjoyed at the prospect of mastering a new technique, Keiden jumped to her feet. Suddenly, she swayed uneasily. "It's okay. . ." she said after a moment, shaking her head as if to clear it. "Head rush." Her lips formed a tight smile.

Before Neji realized what was happening, he'd lost all sensation in his left side. He whipped out his kunai with his right hand to defend himself, struggling not to crumple to the ground.

"Shoot— not fast enough," he heard Keiden mutter from a few feet away. "Sorry, Neji! It'll wear off in a minute!" she called out.

Sure enough, his left side prickled as the feeling seeped back into it. Neji sighed quietly.

Keiden lunged at him again, this time attacking just his arms. He fell instinctively onto his back, jerking his knees inward, aiming a kick at her so she wouldn't land on his chest. She retreated instantly with a small "Hmph."

Neji knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"Third time's a—" There was a sharp intake of breath.

As soon as he recovered the feeling in his arms, Neji sat up, confused.

Keiden's skin had become chalky, and she had one hand to her stomach and the other against a tree, supporting her weight. Her eyes were closed.

Neji wasted no time in making his way toward her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded carefully. "Just give me a minute. I'll be fine. . ." Her hand slipped further down the tree.

"Keiden, you don't sound fine," Neji said, reaching out anxiously.

". . . I think I'm gonna be sick," Keiden croaked weakly. Then she dropped to her knees and became violently ill behind the tree.

Neji was at her side, holding her braid out of the way and rubbing her back as she continued to throw up. It didn't make any sense— she'd seemed perfectly fine just a few minutes ago. She was a relatively healthy person; in all the time Neji had known her, not once had she ever caught a cold, gotten a fever, succumbed to the flu. Was it something she'd eaten this morning? He then thought about their breakfast, but even that hadn't contained anything strange— it had just been the steamed rice and miso soup, something they'd always eaten. So why was Keiden so sick?

She wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "Sorry about that. . . I just felt so _off_ all of a sudden. . ."

"There's no need to apologize. . ." He frowned as he watched her hand trail to her stomach again. She didn't seem to be aware that she was doing this.

Then something clicked in his mind.

". . . Keiden?"

"Yeah?"

". . ." He was probably wrong, but it couldn't possibly hurt to voice his suspicions. "You don't think. . . I mean, could it be that. . .?"

Keiden gasped, understanding. "No _way_!" she whispered incredulously, now placing both hands onto her stomach.

Before they could get too excited, they left the training ground, intending to pay Sakura a visit at the hospital. The pink-haired medic grew extremely enthusiastic when they'd told her about their concerns, leading Keiden into a tiny room and promptly shutting the door in Neji's face.

He sat as patiently as he could, straining his ears to catch anything that would confirm his hunch.

It wasn't like they'd been trying— in fact, besides their first time, they'd only made love four times over the course of a few weeks. They weren't wholly against the idea of starting a family, either: before they'd gotten married, Keiden had often expressed her keen interest in children; she was frequently asked to take care of kids, from shinobi and civilian families alike, whenever their parents happened to be away on missions or busy with other very important matters. Needless to say, her growing desire to have a child of her own was only natural.

"Hey, Neji," came a lazy drawl. "What're you doing here?"

Neji's gaze came to rest upon a spiky ponytail and tired eyes.

"Shikamaru." He stood to shake the Nara's hand. "I'm waiting for Keiden," he said, jerking a thumb toward the tightly sealed door. "And you?"

"Ah, Ino wanted to visit Choji today and give him some flowers," Shikamaru answered languidly. "Our last mission was a little rough on him."

"I'm sorry to hear that. . ." Neji trailed off at the sight of the Yamanaka girl making her way toward them.

"He'll be fine. It's just so troublesome. . . being dragged here every other day. . ."

"Oh, Shikamaru, you know you enjoy it!" Ino gushed, casually throwing an arm around the shadow manipulator's shoulders. "Hi, Neji! What brings you here?"

". . ." He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to let anyone else know about. . . _this_ yet. Getting everyone's hopes up, only to crush them moments afterward, wasn't something he was particularly fond of doing.

"Is Keiden okay?" Shikamaru asked. "You said you were waiting for— _oh_." He grinned slyly. "I see. Well, good luck, Neji." He then grabbed Ino's hand and steered her toward the exit.

"Huh? What's wrong with Keiden? Shikamaru. . ." Neji continued to listen until the slamming door cut off the blonde's interrogations. He settled into his chair again, concentrating on keeping his foot from tapping.

He'd always been rather wary of children, no matter what age they happened to be: infants seemed too loud and irksome; toddlers to seven-year-olds were just plain spoiled; even Academy students, for the most part, didn't particularly appeal to the stoic Hyuga.

However, when Kurenai Yuhi had one time stopped by the Hyuga Compound to drop off her three-year-old daughter before leaving on a week-long mission, Neji had taken one look at the child's curious eyes and dimpled cheeks. . . and he'd figured that maybe having a little girl of his own wouldn't be so bad after all.

The door creaked open again, and Keiden stepped out, her face completely blank.

Neji's heart stuttered. _So. . . she isn't. . .?_

Then she threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm pregnant!" she squealed.


	21. Chapter 21

"I've gotta say, Sis," Kakashi chuckled, glancing at Keiden's abdomen, "that that's the tiniest 'I'm four months along' belly I've ever seen. You _sure_ there's a baby in there?" Keiden playfully slapped his arm.

Kakashi had been away on a long escort mission, and he'd only just returned a week ago. Even so, he hadn't had the time to pay the Hyuga's a visit until this evening.

"Are you still training?" he inquired.

"Oh, goodness, no," Keiden replied. "At least, not the sparring part. Just basic sensory stuff— Sakura said I could do that much."

She rested a hand on the small bulge that was her stomach, a fond smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Neji was always caught off guard by the amount of love in her eyes when she directed her gaze at her womb; was it really possible for her to have become so enamored with somebody she'd never met?

"Staying sharp for the little man?" Kakashi said jokingly.

Keiden laughed. "You think it's a boy, too?" She jerked a thumb in Neji's direction. "He's convinced that it's a girl."

"Figures," the Copy-ninja answered, shrugging good-naturedly.

The three of them finished their tea and chatted lightly for a while, topics ranging from baby names to godparents.

"It's getting late," Kakashi noted. "I should probably get going."

Keiden gave him a quick hug. "Come back anytime, Brother."

"I'll keep that in mind." He shook Neji's hand. "Thanks for having me, Neji. See ya, Sis."

And he was gone.

"He seems almost as excited as we are," Keiden mused, cradling their growing child. "I could hear him smiling the entire time."

Neji stood behind her and placed his hands on top of hers, planting a lingering kiss on her cheek. He was anxious to get to bed— but not for the reasons one would think. These last four months, he'd spent every night watching his wife as she'd run her hands over her stomach in awe, as if unsure that there really was a baby inside of her. But there wasn't a doubt about it— even Neji could feel the slightly hardened bump between her hips.

This baby was real.

And Neji was thrilled.

He often wondered if the child would look like him, or if it would take after its mother; either way, he knew it was going to be perfect. This baby symbolized everything Keiden and Neji had ever felt for each other— despite everything they'd been through since they'd first met, they'd supported each other, trained each other. . . loved each other.

Neji couldn't help but feel that discovering Keiden had been fate.

He didn't think he'd be the person he was today had he not found her: even though she was blind, she'd been the one to open _his_ eyes; even though he'd hated her, she'd been the one to unlock the inner recesses of his heart; even though they'd been afraid, they'd decided that they didn't want to live without each other.

If Keiden had never made her way into Neji's life. . . he'd still be in a very dark place.

She jumped, giving a tiny gasp. "Oh. . . _oh_. . ."

"Keiden?" he whispered.

She didn't answer— instead, she put her hands on top of his and directed them to a spot on her stomach.

"What are you. . .?"

"Shh. . ."

He waited, still not understanding.

Keiden jumped again. "There. . . did you feel that?" She pressed his hands closer into her abdomen. Then—

Something _nudged_ Neji's palm.

"It's kicking," Keiden murmured, her voice quivering in bewilderment. "The baby's kicking. . ."


	22. Chapter 22

"Tenten! Long time, no see!" Keiden said happily.

The bun-headed kunoichi giggled at the woman's blind jab. "I'm glad I ran into you guys. I just got back from Suna, and I found this great book that I thought you might enjoy." She produced a small, leather-bound rectangle from the pouch at her hip. "I know how you like new textures, Keiden. Anyway, I have to go— sending in the mission report and all. . ."

"Thanks, Tenten." Keiden ran a thumb along the spine.

"No problem. I'll catch up with you later!" Tenten ran off, racing toward the Hokage Tower.

"That was really nice of her," Keiden said, her voice soft. "What's the title, Neji?"

He peeked at the intricate gold lettering that splattered the front cover of the book and reflected slightly in the sun. _Typical Tenten. . ._ "The Benefits of Hypnosis," he read.

Keiden's grasp on the book became too tight— her knuckles turned white against the strain.

". . . hypnosis. . ." she said flatly after too long of a pause. Then she shook her head, her fingers relaxing again.

"Are you all right?" Neji said.

"Oh, yes," she replied lightly. "Just a little tired, I guess."

"Do you want to head home?"

"Actually, there's something I forgot to tell Tenten, and I should let her know before I forget again. . ." She smiled. "This pregnancy keeps stealing my train of thought from me."

". . ." This was the first time he recalled her forgetting anything; however, he was willing to accompany her.

"I can make it there myself," she cheerfully insisted, reading his thoughts for what seemed like the billionth time. "I'll meet you at the Compound very soon."

She kissed his cheek, handing him Tenten's gift, and walked away.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Neji suspected that something was awry with Keiden. Was it just the hormones that went along with her pregnancy? Sakura _had_ informed the couple of what to expect during the course of this particular journey; things like absurd cravings and instantaneous mood swings were only just the beginning. However, Keiden hadn't displayed any behaviors like this until today. . . but Neji figured that maybe it was different for every woman.

Staying true to her word, Keiden had made it to the gates of the Hyuga Compound just a few minutes after Neji had. She'd seemed a bit flustered, but she'd told him it was due to her hurrying home— she _really_ had to use the bathroom.

Amused by her sudden pregnant tendencies, Neji let her into their bedroom first, and she dashed lithely toward the adjoining bathroom, hastily shutting the door.

He understood that certain. . . functions were out of whack when a woman's body was focusing its energy on creating a human being, but Neji didn't think that even normal pregnancies forced women to stay in the bathroom for three hours. He'd occasionally knocked, asking Keiden if everything was all right, and she'd always responded the same way.

"Just. . . tummy troubles," she said shyly the next time he gently rapped his knuckles against the door. "Remind me not to take up Naruto's offer on another trip to Ichiraku's. . ."

She'd been craving ramen all week— and, somehow, Naruto had caught wind of it. The blonde jinchuriki had practically dragged the two of them to his favorite ramen stand this morning, shoving two enormous bowls in front of them and demanding that they eat.

After another half hour, Keiden poked her head out of the bathroom. "My shirt's getting uncomfortable. . . d'you mind if I borrow one of yours?"

Neji smirked, searching momentarily in his dresser before handing her a navy, long-sleeved shirt— one of his most comfortable articles of clothing.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, closing the door again. Then she _finally_ emerged, the baggy shirt brushing her knees.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Neji asked, his eyes following her as she made her way over to their bed, plopping onto the mattress.

"I'm okay."

He sighed, joining her. She was curled into a ball, her hands cradled under her cheek; she looked like a child whenever she did this, and Neji's giant shirt only accentuated that fact. Reaching a hand toward her, he placed it just below her ribs— but then she flinched away from him.

"The skin's a little sensitive right now. . ." she said apologetically.

Neji settled for watching her instead, marveling at the way her eyelids slowly fluttered closed and the way the rhythm of her breathing matched that of his heartbeat. Her sleeping form never ceased to amaze him.

When the last dregs of sunlight faded from his bedroom window, Keiden woke up, seemingly refreshed. "Much better," she sighed, taking Neji's hand. "Are you tired?"

"Not at all," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

A funny look dashed across her eyes. "D'you mind taking a walk with me, then?"

It was getting late. . .

"Just in the garden," she implored. "I'm feeling kind of stiff."

He eventually obliged, helping her from the bed and taking her to one of the Compound's back doors.

Hinata's garden was still in its early stages of life; hardly any of her flowers were budding yet. Nevertheless, Neji's soft-spoken cousin was proud of the work she'd put into it.

"It was fun, helping Hinata plant these." Keiden indicated the patches of green and brown. "She made me promise to take care of them whenever she went away on missions."

Her tone sounded a little sad— was it the hormones again? Neji squeezed her hand.

"You know. . . promises can be such beautiful things," she continued. "But they're also terrifying. I mean, once you make a promise, no matter what it is, you can't break it."

". . ." Neji had no idea what to make of her words, but that didn't keep him from listening.

"I remember," she whispered. The look she now gave him was unlike any other he'd ever seen before: the light had been snuffed out, the laughter, the kindness— there was nothing left in her eyes anymore.

"You. . . remember. . .?" He trailed off, trying to understand.

"Everything."

It then hit him like a boulder to the chest.

Her past.

Keiden had remembered her past.


	23. Chapter 23

Neji felt something being slipped into his hand at that moment. To his utmost horror, it was his kunai. He was at a complete loss for words. _This is a joke. . . this has to be a sick joke. . ._

"You can't break your promise, Neji," she uttered.

A terrible, strangled sound escaped his lips. "N-no. . . it— it can't be. . ."

She shut her eyes. "I'm a spy for the Akatsuki." Her voice shook. "I'm the enemy."

Neji fell to his knees. _It's not true! It's not true!_

"Listen to me," she pleaded brokenly. "I'll explain everything as quickly as I can: the title of Tenten's book acted as a trigger. _Hypnosis_. Itachi Uchiha doesn't need his Sharingan to put people under his control— he knows the inner workings of the mind almost as well as Ibiki Morino does— but I don't think he expected me to remember my mission until the moment I was to return to the Akatsuki hideout. My mission was to infiltrate Konoha and commit every scrap of information I could gather to memory—"

"You're lying. . . please. . . tell me you're _lying_. . ."

"I knew your name, Neji. And you wanted to know how."

"No. . ." Neji groaned. "Stop it. . ."

"Zetsu records many things. He recorded your voice when you, your team, and Team Kakashi were sent to save Gaara from the Akatsuki, all those years ago. He always relayed his recordings to us; and when Itachi hypnotized me, he only wanted me to remember the voices of three people when the trance took affect: Kabuto, because he was a spy for Sasori. . . Sakura, because she's a renowned medic and her information is invaluable. . . and you."

Neji gritted his teeth. _It's making sense. . . it's not supposed to be making sense! She can't be the enemy! She can't be!_

"When my mission is complete, I'm supposed to go back to them." She covered her eyes with a hand. "I don't _want_ to go back to them."

"I'll hide you," he breathed desperately. "They'll never find you."

"It's not me that I'm worried about!" she cried. "Besides, if you hide me, they'll come _here_. They'll kill anyone who gets in their way. You _have_ to kill me." Neji winced. "Word of my death will spread in a matter of days. They'll leave you alone—"

"You're _pregnant_!" Neji exclaimed.

"I miscarried!" she retorted. Then she collapsed, her shoulders quaking.

_No. _

_NO!_

The sensitive stomach. . . the baggy shirt. . . all that time she'd spent in the bathroom this afternoon. . . their baby had been dying, bleeding out of her. . . and Neji had had no idea.

"Please. . . Neji. . ." she sobbed. "I already told Lady Tsunade. It has to be tonight."

She hadn't needed to speak to Tenten after all; she'd used that as the perfect excuse to visit the Hokage Tower, knowing that that was where Tenten had been heading.

Neji stood, dazed, and helped her to her feet. _I can't do it. . ._

"You promised," Keiden wept, tears running down her cheeks. "You promised. . ."

He was in shock— this was too much for him to handle all at once. His vision was becoming dark around the edges, but he willed himself to hold on. He glanced at the kunai, clutching it at waist level; the hand that held it was shaking uncontrollably. He started to look up again.

"Keiden. . . I can't do it. . . I-I can't—"

A gruesome noise of metal stabbing through flesh tore his heart to shreds.

She'd run herself through with his kunai.

"You p-promised," she choked, falling against him.

"No. . . n-no." He caught her, lowering the both of them to the ground. "No, please. . . _please_. . ."

His mind went into overdrive— incoherent thoughts were whirring around and around, turning his world into a vertiginous mess. _This can't be happening. . . this isn't happening!_

"S-shh. . ." She coughed, blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth and down her neck. Her eyes were glassy, staring at nothing in a way they'd never stared before. Neji cradled her, a hand supporting her head.

_The hospital. . . get her to. . . the hospital. . ._

"No," she mouthed, touching the kunai that was still embedded in her abdomen. "It's all r-right. I-I can't feel. . . it any. . . more. . ."

Everything was red— there was too much red, too much blood. . . Keiden's life was quickly draining from her, and Neji couldn't do a thing about it.

A scarlet hand reached for his face. "You're. . . s-safe. . ." She caressed his cheek with her thumb, leaving a gory trail in its wake.

He pressed her hand closer, his skin in anguish under her icy fingertips.

She actually smiled and closed her eyes, as if savoring the feel of her husband's pulse beneath her perishing hand. "Neji. . . Hyuga. . ."

And she moved no more.

"No," he gasped. "No— Keiden. _Keiden_. . ." He hugged her to him, muffling his cries within the fabric of the shirt he'd given her. "Please, Keiden, _please_! Don't leave me! Don't. . . leave. . ."

He didn't know how long he sat there, holding his dead wife in his arms— but caring was beyond him at this point. He lamented freely, soaking her skin, her hair, with the salt of his agony, her last words echoing in his soul.

_Neji. . . Hyuga. . ._

With a tortured jolt, he realized that these had also been her first words to him. This epiphany only made him sob even harder.

He felt a consoling hand at his shoulder, but he made no move to acknowledge it.

"She was a fine kunoichi," Lady Tsunade pronounced modestly. "Dying for Konoha was what she always wanted."

Neji pressed his lips to Keiden's forehead, lingering there for the last time.

_Third time's a charm. _


End file.
